3 reasons why Suryakumar Yadav should be used as a finisher in ODIs

It has been a week to forget for star Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav as he failed to score a single run in the entire ODI series against Australia. Moreover, the No.1 ranked T20I batter scored three consecutive golden ducks, and the way he dragged himself off the field in Chennai showed just how low on confidence he is.

It is quite strange how someone who has nailed one white-ball format fails to replicate his form in a slightly longer format. Many feel that it's more of a mental block that 'SKY' needs to overcome to get back to his best.

Yet, there's a fair argument as to why Suryakumar Yadav needs to be perisisted with in the one-day format, but making sure that Team India nails his entry point. The finisher's role seems to be perfect for a player of his quality who is comfortable playing with a high-risk approach.

On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why SKY should play as a finisher in the ODIs:

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#3 Incredible T20I numbers

Suryakumar Yadav won the ICC T20I Men's Player of the Year and is also at the top of the rankings among batters in the shortest format. In just 48 T20Is, SKY has already scored 1675 runs at a sensational average of 46.52 and an incredible strike rate of 175.76 with three hundreds to his name.

Such staggering numbers have given him quite a few chances in the ODIs. However, he has not received a proper run of games at the No.6 position, where he could play consistently at such a high strike rate. If the team management can find a way for SKY to maintain that strike rate at No.6, it would be a perfect match.

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#2 Ability to get going from ball one

Suryakumar Yadav smashed his first ball in international cricket from Jofra Archer for a six. It was just a trailer of how he was going to approach his batting in the shortest format. This clarity in his thought process has helped him maintain consistent scores with such a high strike rate.

If such clarity is provided to SKY in ODIs, he could well make a huge difference to the Indian team. If he gets going towards the backend of an ODI inning with the top-order having done their job, the Men in Blue can score those crucial extra runs which always make a difference in crunch knockout games.

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#1 KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya can bat higher

The ODI series against Australia, especially the first game in Wankhede, showed that the likes of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya were technically sound and had the temperament to play the moving ball.

This is an area Suryakumar Yadav has struggled at, leading to his dismissal against Mitchell Starc in the first two ODIs. If Rahul and Hardik move to No.4 and No.5, respectively, with Shreyas Iyer still out with an injury, SKY could slot in at No.6 in the build-up to the World Cup.

This will give both the experienced batters more time to settle themselves at the crease, and Suryakumar Yadav can then cash in on the platform being set by the top and middle order.