Suryakumar deserves Test call up: Hardik Pandya

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 1000run mark in the shortest form of the gameSurya 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 2022Should the 32yearold Mumbaikar who got a late callup for an India debut only in 2021 in whiteball 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 gameA bit late to debutIndiarsquos current T20 International captain Hardik Pandya does feel the time has come for Surya to be given a chance in redball cricket too while ruing that he got his chance to make his debut in international cricket a tad later than he deservedldquoSuryakumar 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 wellrdquo said Pandya on the eve of the first T20 International against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium todayldquoI 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 wellAlso readIN PHOTOS Indian cricket team begin practice sessionldquoI 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 wellrdquo said Pandya about his deputy in the threegame seriesWith the Indian middle order in Tests sporting some vacancies of late Surya is knocking on the doors of Test cricket nowThat opportunity could come against Australia when they visit India for a fourTest series followed by a threematch ODI seriesWay back in 2010He made his Ranji Trophy debut more than a decade agomdashin 2010mdashand even led Mumbai before leaving the job midway through the seasonHe has figured in 79 firstclass games in all tallying close to 5500 runs inclusive of 14 hundreds and 28 fiftiesHe has been part of the IPLwinning team of Mumbai Indians on two occasionsldquoIn white ball cricket everyone knows I donrsquot 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 morerdquo Pandya added in praise of his vicecaptain