He is called the Indian Mr. 360 for his exceptional skills all around the wicket in T20I cricket and for his exploits at the Indian Premier League.
We are talking about SKY, aka, Surya Kumar Yadav. The Mumbai batsman made his way into the Indian ODI squad riding on his T20I exploits, that catapulted him to fame. Some are even calling him the Indian version of AB De Villiers.
Now, with the 2023 ODI World Cup just over two months away and the fight for batting slots in the Indian squad hotting up, Surya's place is coming under the scanner for his non-performance over the last 5-6 ODIs.
The Mumbai Indians player failed again in the first ODI against the West Indies, scoring just 19 runs. Surya's last six ODI scores have read 19, 0, 0, 0, 14, 31.
And there is talk on social media about the long rope he is being given by skipper and fellow Mumbaikar Rohit Sharma in comparison to players like Sanju Samson, who are warming the benches without an opportunity.
We will come to the Samson factor later, but just getting an idea of how Surya has been playing would give us a sense of why he has been failing.
SURYA'S TECHNIQUE
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The 19 runs that he scored in the first ODI were studded with three boundaries and a six, and came off 25 balls. Surya's strike rate was 76 and for an ODI game, he was going at an above average pace.
The problem seems to be more with the shot selection. Being a 360-degree player, Surya plays a lot of sweeps and paddle sweeps behind the wicket.
The delivery from Gudakesh Motie pitched on middle and off stump and Surya attempted his regular sweep shot, only to miss it this time after the ball straightened and appeared to hit the top of off.
What it tells us is the technical deficiency that has come about as a result of playing one sweep too many and misjudging the line and length of the delivery. Being the T20 exponent that he is, Surya is adept at taking several risks, which is again is the demand of the format. However, the ODI game demands a different kind of skill of working the ball around and milking the field by rotating the strike.
The strike rotation aspect is an area that Surya needs to improve upon and real soon. There is growing criticism of Rohit Sharma's persistence with him despite repeated failures and if Surya fails to get the big scores in the games leading upto the World Cup, the chorus will only grow louder.
SANJU GETTING A RAW DEAL?
And why the chorus will grow louder because of batsmen like Sanju Samson, who is also part of the Indian ODI squad in the West Indies.
Samson has been given a raw deal by captain Rohit Sharma, as he has been consistently ignored of late in the ODI format. He is one of the potential claimants to a place in the middle order, depending on his form and fitness and that of other players in contention as well.
The Rajasthan Royals player is a power-hitter and packs a mighty punch in his shots and can be a gamechanger in crucial situations for the team.
Samson has been in much better shape in comparison to Surya in ODIs lately. The Kerala player's scores in the last ODI matches read: 36, 2, 30, 86, 15 and 43.
Overall, he has played 11 ODIs and scored 330 runs at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76.
When a player of this calibre is in the squad and one is building the team and trying out combinations, does it not make sense to try him out when Surya has been repeatedly failing?. Something for skipper Rohit to ponder about as he and head coach Rahul Dravid formulate strategies and plans for the best team composition ahead of the World Cup.
With KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer still not fully fit, the team management will have to keep all options open and Surya and Samson will figure in their plans.
Will one get the nod ahead of the other or will both get opportunities at the World Cup is something we can wait and watch.
However, as it stands, there is no doubt in anyone's mind as to who the front-runner is. It's definitely Surya and he has his captain's backing. If Surya's poor form persists, then Rohit will have to revisit his loyalties in the best interests of the team, with capable players killing time in the dressing room.
