03 January,2023 04:59 PM IST | Mumbai | SS Ramaswamy
Suryakumar Yadav at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/AFP
Suryakumar Yadav has been a highly consistent performer with the bat in T20 Internationals, especially in the just concluded year during the course of which he crossed the 1000-run mark in the shortest form of the game.
Surya is now in the running to win the coveted ICC T20 International Cricketer of the Year award too after his sensational run with the bat in 2022.
Should the 32-year-old Mumbaikar, who got a late call-up for an India debut only in 2021 in white-ball cricket, but has not figured in a single Test match so far, be given a chance to prove his worth in the longest form of the game?
India's current T20 International captain Hardik Pandya does feel the time has come for Surya to be given a chance in red-ball cricket too, while ruing that he got his chance to make his debut in international cricket a tad later than he deserved.
"Suryakumar Yadav has been fantastic and I hope that he continues that for the Indian team and, going ahead, he is a very important player for all the formats. I feel in red ball [cricket] as well he has the game to, kind of, change the momentum and the situation [of the match] if he comes [to bat] and I am sure the selectors and the captain are looking at him as well," said Pandya on the eve of the first T20 International against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium today.
"I said this in the past about Surya. He played international cricket late. I was always keen from 2020 for him to be part of the Indian team. But unfortunately, it was not. He played late, but he got exactly what he could have got earlier, as well.
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"I can only wish him the best. I hope he continues the run for the Indian team and flourishes more in his life and scores more runs and makes sure that he helps the team to win as well," said Pandya about his deputy in the three-game series.
With the Indian middle order in Tests sporting some vacancies of late, Surya is knocking on the doors of Test cricket now.
That opportunity could come against Australia when they visit India for a four-Test series followed by a three-match ODI series.
He made his Ranji Trophy debut more than a decade ago - in 2010 - and even led Mumbai before leaving the job midway through the season.
He has figured in 79 first-class games in all, tallying close to 5,500 runs, inclusive of 14 hundreds and 28 fifties.
He has been part of the IPL-winning team of Mumbai Indians on two occasions.
"In white ball cricket everyone knows, I don't need to tell, how important he is. But for us, as captain and management, he is one of the most important players and I want him to flourish more," Pandya added in praise of his vice-captain.
