TimesofIndia.com in Dubai: In the last three weeks, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, the batter, has carried himself like a thriller protagonist haunted by the fear of being exposed.His time at the crease has been marked by an unease that is hard to miss. What follows his dismissals tells an even deeper story: first, possibly, the wry grin of a man convinced that fortune has tilted against him, and then the weary glance skyward during his lonely walk back.
In this tournament, the 35-year-old has been in the news not for his runs but for his antics.He stirred the tournament by controversially deciding not to shake hands with Pakistan cricketers after India’s thumping seven-wicket win over their arch-rivals in the league match.Surya registered his highest score against Pakistan, finishing the match with a six before walking straight towards the pavilion without greeting the Pakistan players.At the toss in the next league match against Oman, he tried to mimic former India T20I captain Rohit Sharma, who has been notorious for forgetting details during interactions. “We have two changes – Harshit comes in, one more guy comes in. And oh my god, I have become like Rohit,” Surya said at the toss with a laugh.He was not done. He decided not to come out to bat and kept demoting himself as India finished 188/8 with Surya slotted at No. 11. In the post-match presentation, he joked: “Definitely I’ll try from next game.”
India captain Suryakumar Yadav (AP Photo)
After India’s comprehensive win against Pakistan on Sunday (September 21), he claimed matches against Pakistan can no longer be considered a real rivalry. India’s second win over Pakistan in the T20 tournament extended their head-to-head record in the format to 11-3, with one match tied.“According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry,” Suryakumar told reporters.“But 13-0, 10-1. I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore.”However, captain Suryakumar Yadav overlooked the fact that Pakistan still leads the overall record against India across all three formats with 88 wins to India’s 79.Suryakumar Yadav’s slump
- Last 9 innings: 87 runs (Average – 12.42; Strike Rate – 112.98)
Asia Cup : 59 runs (Average – 29.50; Strike Rate – 111.32)
Amidst all this, Suryakumar Yadav is in the middle of an unusual patch of form. His last T20I fifty before Sri Lanka came 14 innings ago. He failed miserably in South Africa and then at home against England.In his last nine innings, he has mustered only 87 runs with an abysmal average of 12.42 and a strike rate of 112.98. In this Asia Cup, Surya has managed only 59 runs in four innings.Suryakumar Yadav is in a fascinating position. Not long ago, he was ranked No. 1 in T20Is. His recent failures with the bat will raise questions over his place in this India side.The ongoing experiment in India’s middle-order might save him some blushes, but the captain has been adamant that this is how he wants his middle-order to be flexible.
Suryakumar Yadav’s top score in the ongoing Asia Cup is an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan. (Getty Images)
“I think everyone should be flexible in batting except for the openers. Because we have left-handers, right-handers, power hitters, and some players who can rotate strike well. So it’s very important to be flexible,” he said after India’s match against Pakistan in the Super Four.“So irrespective of the need of the hour, if someone has scored 50 at No. 3 or 50 at No. 4, and there is a requirement to bat at 5 or 6 in the next game, then the batsmen have accepted that we will bat like that. And this is how the team will run. Because in this format, I feel that if the players impact and score small runs, then it will be a very dangerous team.”This tinkering with the middle-order has cost India their best No. 3 and looked almost embarrassing against Bangladesh, when the team management decided to shield Sanju Samson, who was not sent to bat at all.India are firm favourites to win the Asia Cup, even if their captain doesn’t perform with the bat. And the reason is simple: this unit is a well-oiled machine.But one would certainly hope that Suryakumar Yadav regains touch — for himself, for India, and for Team India’s fans — because India cannot afford to go into the T20 World Cup with their captain as the weakest link.
