‘He will definitely be in the XI, let alone the 15’

Ashish Nehra said that the player should be a mainstay in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup as he gives a number of options due to his stellar form.

India’s ongoing Asia Cup campaign has lasted only two matches but it has given fans a fair idea of what they would get to see from the team in the T20 World Cup, particularly in the batting department. Among these is that India’s top order is shaky, with KL Rahul looking rusty, Rohit Sharma being unable to convert his starts and Virat Kohli seemingly starting to regain his footing, while their middle order is a potent weapon.

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have played a starring role in India’s middle order, with the former boasting a strike rate of 177.51 in the 23 innings he has played in T20Is, even becoming the fourth Indian batter to score a century in the shortest format of the game this year.

Suryakumar also played as an opener for India in their matches against the West Indies earlier this year and excelled in the role. Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra has said that the 31-year-old has to be a mainstay in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. “No matter whichever position you play Suryakumar Yadav, he will remain crucial for India. He has done well wherever he has batted and has the ability to bat through any situation, having shown the same for Mumbai Indians as well as for India,” said Nehra on the ICC review.

“He may not be blessed with the power-hitting ability of Pant on Hardik Pandya. But he still plays with the field and hits it all around the park. Suryakumar has performed incredibly well and he will definitely be in the XI, let alone in the 15,” he said.

Nehra said that the presence of Suryakumar gives India flexibility. “This gives you flexibility because if you play Rishabh Pant, then you can adjust him and Yadav in the No.4 or No.5 position according to the situation. I feel that your 15 for the T20 World Cup is a roundabout set and need not be tinkered with,” said Nehra.