IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians Rely On Suryakumar Yadav, Might Consider Retaining Him - Saba Karim

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim has opined that Mumbai Indians (MI) rely quite heavily on Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order. Therefore, they might consider retaining him when the mega auction begins ahead of the next season.

Suryakumar has peaked in the last two IPL seasons. It also earned him a call-up to the national side, a much-awaited one at that. His explosive batting during the 7-15 over phase has made him one of the most feared batsmen. MI relies on the 30-year-old to provide the impetus after the powerplay.

Even for the Indian team, Suryakumar has already shown how good he can be when the run rate needs a push. His style of play is very well suited for a team like India, and hence, he was added to the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup. Speaking on his performances for MI which earned him the opportunity to play at the international level, Karim said:

“Mumbai Indians are lucky to have someone like Suryakumar Yadav who can come in to bat at number 3 or 4 and can anchor the innings, while also hitting boundary shots when needed. Mumbai rely heavily on Suryakumar Yadav’s batting. His name will also come up for sure when the franchise looks for the players to retain for their upcoming seasons.“

“Ishan Kishan can be used as a floater” – Saba Karim

The 53-year-old former player went on to state that Ishan Kishan provides a lot of flexibility to a playing XI. He can be used as an opener, which MI has done in the last couple of seasons. He can even be used as a floater, not just for MI but also for the Indian team, as per Saba Karim.

“Ishan Kishan is not needed at the top of the order for MI. The team uses him well at number 4. I don’t think they will want to make any such changes. They have a settled batting unit and also have a lot of depth in their batting order. Ishan Kishan is a type of player who can be used as a floater. He will have a similar role with the Indian team as well,” he added.

The deadly duo of Suryakumar and Kishan will be seen in action when Mumbai Indians take on Chennai Super Kings on September 19.

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