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Out-of-favour India batter Shikhar Dhawan believes that swashbuckling batter Suryakumar Yadav can be a solid player for the Men in Blue in 2023 ODI World Cup. With Shreyas Iyer out injured, Rohit Sharma & Co. have been searching for a reliable willow order who can bind the batting order together in case things go haywire at the top. Apart from Suryakumar, there is Sanju Samson who is being looked at as a possible replacement for Iyer at the No.4 spot for the quadrennial mega competition.
Dhawan is ready to bet on Suryakumar's experience as the stylish batter has been around for a decent amount of time while he also named Shubman Gill and Rohit as two other batters that he will have his eyes on during the World Cup.
"I would go with Surya at four as he is an experienced player and has been playing international cricket for a while," Shikhar Dhawan told PTI.
"Also, really looking forward to seeing how Shubman Gill does in the World Cup. Another batter to watch out for will be Rohit Sharma as he did exceptionally well in the last World Cup," he said, referring to Rohit's five hundred in the 2019 edition.
Coming back to Suryakumar, the soon-to-be 33-year-old has played 26 ODIs for the Men in Blue and his record doesn't do justice to his remarkable talent and potential. The right-handed batter has scored 511 runs at a dismal average of 24.33 with the help of two half-centuries.
For some bizarre reason, Suryakumar has been unable to translate his T20I form into ODI success. Rohit and the team management have shown immense faith and belief in the Mumbai batter. Yet, Suryakumar hasn't been able to make the No.4 position his own in 50-over cricket.
Now, if Iyer fails to recover from his injury in time and missed the ODI World Cup, it would be interesting to see if India persists with Suryakumar or turn to someone else who can provide solidity as well as play the situation perfectly.
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