"It will be a huge gamble" - Gautam Gambhir on Suryakumar Yadav's batting position in World Cup 2023

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir believes India need to bat Suryakumar Yadav at No. 7 if they want him to be a part of their playing XI for the World Cup. SKY finally came good in the one-day format with a well-made 50 off 49 balls against Australia in the first ODI in Mohali on Friday, September 22.

Gambhir feels Suryakumar's best will come when he is asked to bat in a situation similar to that in T20 cricket, with around 15-20 overs left in the Indian innings. For that, he reckons the Men in Blue can hold SKY back and promote Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya above him.

Speaking to Star Sports, here's what Gautam Gambhir had to say about Suryakumar Yadav:

“If Suryakumar Yadav is in your first playing XI, then I would want him to bat at 6-7, but the big question will then be who will bat at No. 5. Then Jadeja can bat at No. 5, Hardik at 6 and Suryakumar as finisher where he can bat in the final 15-20 overs.

"But it will be a huge gamble deciding whether you want Jadeja at No. 5 and Suryakumar, in the form that he is in ODI cricket, at No. 7. This would put a lot of responsibility on the top four."

---

Suryakumar Yadav on his half-century

Suryakumar Yadav is delighted to have made a meaningful contribution to ODIs after a long time. For someone who had cracked the T20 format, SKY admitted that he kept wondering what was going wrong in one-day cricket.

Speaking about the adjustments he had to make in the innings in Mohali, Suryakumar told the host broadcaster after the match:

“I was wondering what was happening. The color of the ball is the same. The teams are the same. The bowlers are the same. I think I was hurrying a bit. I thought, let's take a little more time, calm myself, take it slowly, and try to bat deep.”

SKY will be keen to continue his good form in the second ODI as well to be played in Indore on Sunday, September 24.