India’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane has backed Suryakumar Yadav to bat at one drop in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Yadav hasn’t been in the best of forms in the recent past but there is no doubt that he is going to hold the key for the Men in Blue.
In the last 12 months, Yadav managed 218 runs at an average of 13.62 in 21 T20Is and he would want to turn a corner in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
There is no doubt that Yadav is best suited for the number three position but the team has promoted either Tilak Varma or Axar Patel to one drop to maintain the right-left hand batting combination. Head coach Gautam Gambhir also said that batting orders are overrated in the white-ball formats, barring the openers.
Ajinkya Rahane said on his YouTube Channel, “At number three, I would love to see Suryakumar Yadav coming in at that position because his batting pattern is such that he takes a little time at the start. If he comes in at number three, he can take that initial time and then build his innings from there. In the last 15, 17, or 18 innings, his scores haven’t been great, but I don’t think that will make much of a difference. Suryakumar is the kind of player who, on his day, will win matches for India.”
“And if you have a captain who is supremely confident about his batting ability, it is all about going out there and playing with positive intent. That is why I would want Suryakumar to bat at number three, so that he can take some time early on. Once he is set and in rhythm, he can then play freely,” he added.
Rahane wants Tilak Varma to bat at number four in the T20I showpiece. Varma has undergone a groin surgery and has been ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand.
“At number four, Tilak Varma for me, because although his recent form has been very good. In 50-over matches, T20 matches, and whatever domestic cricket he has played, he has performed well. He is a confident cricketer and a versatile batsman. If you look at his shot range, he plays shots all around the ground and puts good pressure on spinners, which is very important when you are batting in the middle order in the T20 format. Putting pressure on spinners is crucial. He can rotate the strike, but when you can also hit big shots against spinners and play with confidence, it is a very good sign.”
Rahane backed Hardik Pandya to bat ahead of Shivam Dube at number five in the batting order. Pandya can add the finishing touches with his blistering batting and has been in good form.
“I will go with Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, depending on who is bowling in that particular situation. But yes, if Hardik Pandya comes in first, then Shivam Dube will follow. We all know about Hardik. He is a very confident cricketer and a very confident batsman. Recently, in the T20 format, in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he also played for Baroda and scored very good runs. In tough conditions and difficult situations, when Baroda lost four or five wickets early, he went in and scored a century. So yes, having a player like Hardik Pandya at that position is very important, where he can dominate both spinners and fast bowlers.”
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
