IND vs NZ 2021: “Suryakumar Yadav must kick on” - Salman Butt feels Team India batter needs to display better consistency

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt reckons Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav needs to display better consistency with the bat. He pointed out that if he fails to grab his chances, there are a number of other talented players waiting in the wings.

Suryakumar began the T20I series against New Zealand with a blazing half-century, but he was dismissed for 1 and 0 in subsequent matches. Although India clinched the series 3-0, the middle order continued to remain a cause for worry.

Speaking about India’s middle-order woes and Suryakumar’s performance, Butt said on his YouTube channel:

“When Virat Kohli comes back, the middle-order will look good again. But yes, Suryakumar Yadav must kick on. He has got quite a few chances. He plays very well in one or two innings, then his next 2-3 knocks are off the track and he gets dismissed early. He has to gain momentum because he is very important for India. If he doesn’t grab his chances, India have (Ruturaj) Gaikwad waiting in the wings, who is a special talent and can score quickly. Gaikwad maintains a high strike-rate even while playing safe.”

31-year-old Suryakumar has scored 244 runs in 11 T20I matches at a strike rate of 155.41 with three half-centuries.

He can bat at 4-5 so Pant has support to finish games: Robin Uthappa on Suryakumar Yadav

Earlier, former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa had suggested that Suryakumar could bat at the no.4 or no.5 position and support Rishabh Pant in finishing the innings. Uthappa opined that Suryakumar’s versatility makes him a big asset to the team.

During an interaction on ESPNCricinfo, Uthappa had said:

“The guy brings in a sense of versatility. He can move up and down the batting order. Surya gets in there and gets going. The array of shots that he has got makes him a dangerous batter at any position. He can bat at 4-5 so that Pant has got some support to finish games.”

Suryakumar has been a key batter in Mumbai Indians’ (MI) success in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last few seasons. However, he had an average run during the IPL 2021 season, scoring 317 runs with only two half-centuries. His inconsistent returns coincided with the franchise’s exit before the playoffs.