IND vs WI: I Was Shocked, Checked Right Away To See If Rishabh Pant Was Playing In The Game: R Sridhar On Suryakumar Yadav Opening

Updated - 05 Aug 2022, 01:07 PM

R Sridhar
R Sridhar. Image-Twitter

R Sridhar, a former member of India’s coaching staff, was one of the many people who were perplexed by the choice, especially in especially because Ishan Kishan is already a member of the team and has previously scored two fifty-plus scores against South Africa at home.

Suryakumar Yadav’s opening alongside Rohit Sharma caught everyone by surprise as India came out to bat against West Indies in the first T20I.

Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan PC Twitter

India caused a stir by asking Surya to bat while KL Rahul was out injured. After Rishabh Pant was forced to open a few times in England, this was India’s second surprise victory. At the first two T20Is in Birmingham and Nottingham, the India wicketkeeper-batsman opened, but the strategy failed as he scored 26 and 1.

Rishabh Pant (Image Credits: Twitter)
Rishabh Pant (Image Credits: Twitter)

Suryakumar scored 24 in the first game and 11 in the second, but just as it looked like the experiment was failing, the batter changed the game in the third T20I by producing a superb half-century. India eventually reached their goal of 165 after Suryakumar’s 76 off 44 balls, which included eight boundaries and four sixes.

‘I was quite surprised when Suryakumar walked in’: R Sridhar

R Sridhar said he was surprised by the decision and added the explanation, saying there is undoubtedly stuff that the fans are not aware of.

“I was a little taken aback by Suryakumar’s decision to step out to bat alongside Rohit. I went straight to see if Rishabh Pant was participating in the game. He was, too. Therefore, it is clear that something is happening there that we are unaware of. Unbeknownst to us, there is activity taking place inside the Indian restroom.”

Suryakumar Yadav (Image Credits: Twitter)
Suryakumar Yadav (Image Credits: Twitter)

“Otherwise, I can not see this management altering the batting order so easily, as they are renowned to support their players and give them chances to demonstrate their abilities and resolve. So I was quite surprised when Suryakumar walked in,” R Sridhar said on Cricket.com.

India currently leads the 5Match T20 Series 2-1. The 4th T20 will be played on Saturday in Florida.

Also Read: IND vs WI: There Isn’t A Length Or Line That Can Keep Suryakumar Yadav Quiet ‐ Sanjay Manjrekar

Tagged:

India tour of West Indies 2022 Ishan Kishan R Sridhar Rishabh Pant Suryakumar Yadav