IND vs NZ: "Suryakumar Yadav Will Definitely Do Well In ODIs" - MSK Prasad

Updated - 17 Jan 2023, 04:59 PM

MSK Prasad. Image Credits: Twitter

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Former chief selector MSK Prasad predicts that T20 sensation Suryakumar Yadav would soon have an effect on ODI cricket. He praised the 32-year-old as a superb athlete who is quite versatile.

Suryakumar has excelled in the Twenty20 format. He hasn’t been able to repeat his ODI success, either. For the first two One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka, the Mumbai batter was not included in the Indian playing XI. He had a chance in the dead rubber, but in the match in Thiruvananthapuram, he was out for four.

Despite Suryakumar’s inconsistent results in the first two white-ball tournaments, MSK Prasad is not overly concerned. He stated in a rediff.com interview:

“Suryakumar Yadav will soon make his impact in the 50-over format as well. Surya is a superb athlete. The fact that he is a member of both the T20 team and the Test squad speaks something about his flexibility” MSK Prasad said.

“So if he can make the T20 and Test squads, he will undoubtedly perform well in ODIs as well.” He simply needs to wait for his turn. He will soon secure his position on the Indian team, in my opinion,” MSK Prasad Added.

In 45 T20Is, Suryakumar scored 1578 runs with an incredible strike rate of 180.34 and an average of 46.41. In 17 ODIs, he only scored 388 runs, a dismal average of 29.84.

“Sarfaraz Khan needs to do more before he is selected”: MSK Prasad

The selectors have been under fire from numerous critics and former cricketers for repeatedly passing over Sarfaraz Khan, but according to MSK Prasad, the Mumbai player needs to put in more work before getting the call. He advised the 25-year-old to be patient and take advantage of his chance to compete at the “India A” level.

“Everyone who does well in domestic cricket has one more rung to climb, and that is India ‘A,” says Rishabh Pant, K S Bharat, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, and Sanju Samson. They traveled for two years with India ‘A’ team and were groomed through that system”

“Even Shreyas Iyer scored 1,300 runs in one season, but he couldn’t get through since the club was loaded with middle-order batters and he had to wait his turn. Similarly, Sarfaraz Khan will have to wait for his chances. And whenever he gets a chance to play for India ‘A,’ he should take advantage of it. If he does that, he would almost certainly make the Indian team.”

Sarfaraz has scored 3380 runs in 36 first-class games with a stunning average of 80.47, 12 hundred, and 9 fifties.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: Ishan Kishan Likely To Bat In Middle-Order Against New Zealand