IND vs WI: Mohammad Kaif Slams Rahul Dravid And Rohit Sharma For Opening With Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav became the eighth batter to start for India this year on Friday. Although Suryakumar led India off to a strong start, the legendary Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif criticized Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid for his tactics.

India is yet to decide on their final 15 players for the next T20 World Cup, therefore they are still considering both starters and backups for each position. The opening slot has been the one role that India has tried the most in 2022.

Suryakumar Yadav became the seventh opening batsman for the Men in Blue this year as he walked in to bat alongside captain Rohit Sharma in Trinidad’s opening T20I match of the series against West Indies. India has used up to seven different openers, including Rohit, with Ishan Kishan being the most popular option. In 2022, the youngster started 13 times at opening for India, hitting 419 runs with three fifty-sixes.

After India’s innings, Mohammad Kaif stated to Fan Code that Rishabh Pant should have been used for a couple more innings. Earlier this month, the wicketkeeper-batter had started for India in a series against England, scoring a 15-ball 26 and a 5-ball 1.

Suryakumar has the role of controlling the innings in the middle: Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif added that their choice of Pant was unlike any other choice they had made in the past, where they had typically backed players for at least five or six innings before moving on to the next.

“Whatever it was, I completely failed to understand it. You ought to have used Rishabh Pant today if you were planning to use him as the opener for a couple of games. Give him five chances at least. In addition, Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Rahul Dravid, the coach, support the players for at least 5–6 games.”

“But Pant was an exception to this. Suryakumar’s job is to manage the innings in the middle and put the finishing touches on them. In actuality, he will continue to bat at No. 4 when Kohli and Rahul return. Pant should have been tested, though. Had no idea what had transpired. Ishan Kishan is also waiting.” Mohammad Kaif added.

Suryakumar was opening for India for the first time in a T20I match. Before being bowled by Akeal Hossein, he hit three boundaries and a six on his way to a 16-ball 24, which helped the opening pair reach 44 runs in 28 balls.

Also Read: WI vs IND: It Was Not An Easy Wicket To Start On – Dinesh Karthik