The Indian Premier League is a tournament where the forgotten players can make a mark and the real stars can be forgotten, all in the matter of an Indian summer. One such player who garnered fame and enjoyed a decent amount of success in the 10-year-old tournament is Mumbai-born Suryakumar Yadav. The right-hander caught the eye after a highly remarkable domestic run in the 2010-11 season. In the wake of the same, he was roped in by the Mumbai Indians for the 2012 IPL season.
We must take note of the fact that before 2014, uncapped players could not register themselves for the IPL auctions. But in the 2014 IPL auction, Yadav was bought for INR 70 lacs by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Since then, he has played 52 matches for the KKR outfit and has an IPL career strike rate of 132.04. However, he has struggled to make an impression in this edition in particular. One of the major reasons for his misfiring run in the IPL 10 could be the position he bats at.
The right-hander has earned a reputation for finishing off the innings but is that all he can do? Does he have more to offer? Well, here are the 5 reasons why Suryakumar Yadav should be batting higher up the order for the Kolkata Knight Riders:
#1 Less pressure
Handling pressure is one of the key components a player must showcase repeatedly in his career if he wants to earn a tag about being a specialist in a particular facet of the game. And T20 demands the pressure handling ability coupled with quick execution – the biggest challenge in the format. Well, if we take a look at Yadav’s recent performances, we have to admit that, in the quest of scoring swiftly in the slog overs, he has departed a number of times.
In this year’s IPL, Yadav has batted mostly at the number 6 position and every time he has come out to bat, the youngster was always under pressure to play a quickfire knock. Perhaps, it has not worked in his favour and all his scores of below 20 in the first few fixtures assert the same. However, if he comes out to bat slightly higher then that gives him a chance to set himself perfectly for a blitz in the final overs of the innings.
#4 Gives Yusuf Pathan the freedom to fire right away
We have seen on a number of occasions in the past where the big-hitting Pathan was forced to play his unnatural game in order to help the team to a decent total. In odd scenarios like those, sending Yadav up the order could work wonders. The primary reason for that is, Yadav is someone who always bats in the region of number 3 and number 4 when he is playing for his domestic side and Ranji Trophy runners-up, Mumbai.
Not many cricketers are as astute as Yadav in analysing the situation and playing accordingly. However, with the vast experience he has gained in the domestic circuit, Yadav is reliable in any situation and he has showcased the same while plying his trade for the Mumbai team. So that should be one of the key reasons to send Yadav up the order, at least at number 4 or number 5 and hold back Yusuf Pathan for a bit longer.
#3 Promising and just 26 years of age
Yes, although Yadav has been around in the IPL for close to six years, Yadav is still a 26-year-old cricketer. Since his induction to the team, Yadav has always shown glimpses of what he is capable of but something which could be hampering his growth is the position at which he comes out to bat. Early on in his stint with the KKR, Yadav was tried in the lower middle order and even in the little time he was afforded, he proved his mettle with his eccentric strokeplay.
In most of the teams in this IPL, we have seen promising batsmen batting up the order. Shreyas Iyer and Rishab Pant for Delhi, Nitish Rana for Mumbai Indians, KL Rahul in the past for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the likes of Manan Vohra and Mandeep Singh going up the order as well. If Suryakumar Yadav is placed on that list, then barring Pant, Yadav has been exceptional in living up to the expectations although unlike the rest of them, Yadav bats in a lower position and under constant pressure to deliver in a short amount of time.
#4 Natural instinct is to attack and innovate
In the Indian cricket today, we have many batsmen who can play an aggressive cameo and most of them can even depart while trying to be persistent with the same. Barring the 10th edition of the IPL, Yadav has always played quickfire knocks and in addition to this, he has gone on to finish matches for his team as well. Again, his ability to play timely knocks in any situation of the match has to be highlighted.
Apart from all this, what really gives Yadav an extra scope is his scintillating skill set to play innovative shots. The IPL has witnessed some of the most elegantly played improvisation strokes in the past and some of them played by Yadav will definitely make it to the list. Therefore when Yadav is given more time to settle in the middle, it bolsters his confidence to play his attacking game studded with innovative shots.
#5 It is time for a change
Although Sunil Narine did manage to surprise everyone with a couple of Gayle-esque knocks right after he was promoted to open the innings, his fairytale run has come to a halt after two good innings. In the last four innings, Narine has faltered and has departed for single-digit scores.
Therefore it is probably time to revert back to the infamous opening combination of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa followed by the likes of Manish Pandey at number three. This lays the platform perfectly for the experienced and heavily talented Suryakumar Yadav to bat at positions like number four where he can thrive with the additional freedom and time he gets to settle in.
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