Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Saba Karim has picked Suryakumar Yadav ahead of Sanju Samson for India’s World Cup squad as he feels the former has more match-winning ability. SKY has been performing consistently for the Indian team, especially in the T20I format.
On the other hand, Sanju Samson has received sporadic chances as he has not been consistent enough in the domestic circuit.
SKY has shown that he can be a match-winner for the team and he is definitely ahead of Sanju Samson in the race to break into India’s World Cup squad. The 32-year-old has scored 1675 runs in 48 T20Is at an average of 46.53. But he hasn’t grabbed his chances in the 50-overs version as he has scored 433 runs in 23 ODIs at an average of 24.06.
Meanwhile, Samson has scored 330 runs in 11 ODI matches for India at an average of 66. But he is yet to grab his chances in the T20I format as he has amassed only 301 runs in 17 matches at an average of 20.07.
Saba Karim said on News24 Sports, “I still feel Suryakumar Yadav is a game changer. If you talk about both of them, I feel Suryakumar Yadav has more match-winning ability, which he has shown in T20s. I would always back that sort of player because he can turn the game in your favor from an extremely difficult position as well.”
In fact, SKY was able to bounce back into form after going through a lean patch in the ODI series against Australia as he had registered three golden ducks. The right-hander scored 605 runs in 16 matches for Mumbai Indians at an average of 43.21 in IPL 2023.
“It is a different thing that he hasn’t scored runs. He hadn’t scored runs in T20Is as well but then how he came back and scored runs in the IPL. So it depends on how you back the players and what role you give to them.”
The former Indian selector added India’s team management will have to give a specific role to Suryakumar Yadav in order to get the best out of himself.
“If you are playing Suryakumar in ODIs and expecting him to score runs as he does in Ranji Trophy, it’s not going to happen. You will have to give him a specific role, which has been given to him in T20Is because of which he is performing.”
SKY has been picked for the ODI series against West Indies but he has been left out of the Test squad.
