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When Suryakumar Yadav was selected for India’s World Cup squad, few questions were raised as many believed that there were others who deserved to board the bus. Surya was included in the playing XI after an unfortunate injury to Hardik Pandya. He had to sacrifice his wicket on his World Cup debut but he had his moment in the sun on a tough Lucknow track against an England side that was trying to make up for their horrendous losses. Surya did not resort to his typical square of the wickets straightaway but batted with patience, curbing his natural instinct. While Surya could not finish with a flourish, his 47-ball 49 helped India cross the 200-run mark.
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After Surya showed that he belongs at this stage, an underperforming Shreyas Iyer’s place in the side is in danger. While Ishan Kishan is warming the benches, Pandya’s return could very well mean that the team management puts their trust in Surya. Former Indian national selector Jatin Pranjape is of a similar opinion as well. He saw glimpses of a 'khadoos Mumbaikar' in Surya's approach against the defending champions when the chips were down.
"We all know what Surya can do in T20Is. What was impressive was how he read the situation and was ready to play the second fiddle till Rohit was at the crease. It was a top class innings keeping conditions in mind and he only played his customary pick-up shot behind square when he knew that it is time to attack," Paranjape told PTI.
"On Sunday, you saw that 'khadoos' Mumbaikar in Surya where he was ready to show the other side of his batting. And if you ask me about what happens when Hardik comes back, I would like to see Surya continue in his role and KL (Rahul) can bat at No. 4 in place of Shreyas Iyer.
Iyer has scored 144 runs from six innings at an average of 33.50. When wickets fell early, he could not make an impact against either Australia or England. When the opportunity presented to finish the game against New Zealand and Bangladesh, Iyer played loose shots to get out. The teams know his weakness against the short ball. Against England, he went for a non-existent pull shot and threw his wicket away which may prompt team management to use available resources.
However, India will go up against Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on November 2. Iyer may get another chance to regain his form and prove that he is worthy of the place in the middle order on a familiar track.
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