India’s Trust in Suryakumar Yadav Remains Unshaken for World Cup 

India stands firmly behind Suryakumar Yadav, anticipating his game-changing potential to shine in the ICC World Cup 2023, despite a somewhat sluggish start to his One-Day International (ODI) career. Currently holding the No. 1 T20I batter position in the ICC rankings, Yadav’s transition to the ODI format has seen him amass two fifties with an average of 24.40 in his first 25 innings.

Rahul Dravid’s Unwavering Confidence 

Head coach Rahul Dravid leaves no room for doubt regarding Suryakumar Yadav’s value to the team. Dravid believes that Yadav’s unique qualities can make a significant impact for India, particularly from the No. 6 batting position. He emphasized that India’s decision to include Yadav in their World Cup squad is resolute and unwavering. 

Dravid stated, “I don’t think he needs to worry about the 27th; we’ve picked our team for the World Cup and Surya is in it. We’ve made that decision, and we completely back him because he’s got a certain quality and ability that we’ve seen.” 

While Suryakumar Yadav has showcased his exceptional skills primarily in T20 cricket, Dravid believes that his ability to change the course of a game will be invaluable to India in the ODIs. Dravid remarked, “He can change the course of a game, so we’ve completely backed him. There’s been total clarity on the fact that we’re completely behind him and we know hopefully he’ll be able to turn it around.” 

What will be Suryakumar Yadav’s Role in the World Cup? 

Suryakumar Yadav is not part of India’s regular top six in ODIs, but with key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya rested for the first two ODIs against Australia, Yadav is set to feature prominently in the starting XI. Dravid confirmed Yadav’s role in the upcoming series, stating, “These three games, he is someone who will get all three games, or at least the first couple certainly to be able to again develop and keep growing in his journey as a one-day cricketer.” 

The decision to rest senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the series against Australia raised questions about India’s approach. However, Dravid clarified that this strategy aims to ensure that these players are physically and mentally prepared for the World Cup’s first game. 

Dravid explained, “At this level, the amount of cricket that they’ve played, they know how they need to prepare themselves. A lot of these decisions are made in discussion with them in an effort to try and get… all our players, obviously not only the two of them, but certainly the senior and the more experienced guys kind of have their routines and know what they need to do to get into the first game in the right frame of mind.” 

Ashwin’s Return to ODI Cricket

Another significant talking point was Ravichandran Ashwin’s return to ODI cricket. With Axar Patel nursing a quadriceps strain, Ashwin has the opportunity to audition for a spin bowler’s role. Despite not playing an ODI since January 2022, Dravid expressed confidence in Ashwin’s experience and adaptability. 

Dravid stated, “Having someone of Ashwin’s experience to come back is always good for us. Also, he’s got the ability to be able to contribute with the bat at No. 8. He’s someone who we’ve always thought of where in case there were certain injuries or opportunities opened up, he was always part of our plans. I know he hasn’t played a lot of one-day cricket in the last bit, but someone of his experience can deal with that really well.”

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