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Former Indian Test cricketer Wasim Jaffer was unequivocal about who should bat at No. 4 in Shreyas Iyer's absence in the ODI series against New Zealand. Jaffer thinks Suryakumar Yadav is a straight swap for the first ODI in Hyderabad, starting on Wednesday (January 18).
Despite his sensational performances in T20I cricket, Suryakumar Yadav has struggled to find a place in India's one-day side due to a settled middle-order. With Shreyas Iyer out of the 50-over series against the Kiwis due to a back injury, the right-hander remains in pole position to take his spot.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Jaffer said he reckons Suryakumar will bat at No. 4. He opined that Ishan Kishan should come in at five and take the gloves in KL Rahul's absence.
Jaffer also wishes to see Washington Sundar as the second spinner and stated that the pace-bowling unit should go ahead unchanged.
"I think Suryakumar Yadav will come in for Shreyas Iyer as it is a straight swap. At number five, I think Ishan Kishan will come in. He will probably take the gloves as well since KL is not there. Since Axar is not there in the bowling line-up, I would go for Washington Sundar."
He added:
"Since New Zealand have so many left-handers, I would pick Washington Sundar with Kuldeep Yadav because they both can take the ball away from the left-handers. The three fast bowlers - Umran, Siraj, and Shami - depends if they want to rest anybody. If they want to go full-fledged, these are the three seamers along with Hardik Pandya and the two spinners."
The number one T20I batter has so far played 17 ODIs and averages a modest 29.84 with two fifties.
In contrast, Kishan took the cricketing fraternity by storm when he clobbered a double-hundred in the third ODI against Bangladesh in December 2022. The duo also warmed the bench in the preceding 3-0 series win against Sri Lanka.
"Ishan Kishan can also bat at four" - Wasim Jaffer
Jaffer was asked whether Kishan should bat at number five. He opined that the southpaw coming in at four is not a bad call either, with Suryakumar and Hardik Pandya following him. He added:
"I think he has to probably get that number because Gill and Rohit will definitely open. Virat obviously comes in at number three. Since Shreyas Iyer is not there, Ishan Kishan can also bat at four, then Suryakumar at five, and Hardik Pandya at six is not a bad call at all."
India are coming off a series sweep against Sri Lanka, while New Zealand also secured a 2-1 victory in the 50-over series against Pakistan.
