Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s top-ranked T20I batter, has regained his form just in time for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Yadav smashed his second century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday, guiding Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. His impressive performance has sparked a discussion about his ideal batting position for the Indian team.
Yadav has primarily batted at No. 4 for India, scoring 1402 runs in 35 innings with an average of 50. However, after Virat Kohli’s decision to take a break from T20Is, Yadav moved up to No. 3 and has maintained a solid average of 40, including one century and four fifties in 14 innings.
With Kohli’s return to the team, Yadav is likely to revert to his No. 4 spot. However, former West Indies captain Brian Lara believes that Yadav should bat at No. 3, ahead of Kohli. Lara’s reasoning is that Yadav’s exceptional talent and ability to dominate bowling attacks warrant the top spot.
“Suryakumar Yadav is the star player and should be given the chance to bat at No. 3 and win games for his team,” Lara said. “Because in T20s, Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are the main men. They are the ones with the most number of balls to put your team into a winning position.”
Kohli, on the other hand, has been in good form recently, with an improved strike rate. However, Lara believes that Yadav’s ability to demoralize bowling attacks gives him an edge.
“I just think Suryakumar is a batter who can win you a game on his own,” Lara said. “That’s all I am going to say.”
The decision on Yadav’s batting position will ultimately rest with the Indian team management, led by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. They will need to consider the team’s overall balance and the strengths of the opposition when making their decision.
