"He is batting on a different planet altogether" - Dinesh Karthik heaps praise on Suryakumar Yadav

Wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik urged the management to give Suryakumar Yadav an extended run of games in the playing XI. The middle-order batter scored a sublime 39, but failed to get the team over the line.

The 31-year-old was on the sidelines for the first two contests and came in place of Venkatesh Iyer for the third ODI in Cape Town. Coming in at No.6 at a crucial juncture in the run chase, he shared a crucial partnership with Shreyas Iyer. While he holed out to mid-off to end his innings, he looked at ease at the crease.

Terming a 'mature' Ravindra Jadeja as a viable option for the Indian middle order, Karthik said on Cricbuzz:

"Jadeja is ready to bat at No.6, in fact, he is batting so well that he can play at No.5 as well. He is not the reckless kid anymore, he is using his head now and winning games with the bat, and in white-ball cricket, his stronger suit might be his batting. He will deliver for you consistently because he has got a good head on his shoulders and he knows how to take a game deep."

Karthik reserved special praise for Surykumar Yadav as well. He believes Yadav can do wonders for the team if given a long run in the batting unit. Karthik added:

"Suryakumar Yadav is batting on a different planet altogether, the kind of shots, the kind of positions, and the execution put together. He made batting look way easier than it was in that situation. Give him a long run, I'm sure he will do wonders for India. But, he needs a long run, now every time he comes out, he is under pressure from the players above and below him. It is very hard to set fields for him."

Karthik continued:

"SKY will play with the same tempo in any position. For Mumbai Indians also, he plays in a similar way coming in at No.3. You will get a good amount of runs if you play him at No.4 or 5, but I will bat him at No.5 or 6 in ODI cricket because he turns around games in quick time on a consistent basis."

Suryakumar Yadav is expected to be part of the squad that will host West Indies for a limited overs series.

Team India should have a strong look at Shahrukh Khan: Dinesh Karthik

Speaking about captaincy candidates in the upcoming IPL mega auction, especially with several franchises in need of a new leader, Karthik listed out a few names who set the criteria. He added:

"If you go by recent history, then David Warner, he has captained a franchise and is available. If you go by International standards, then Pat Cummins, could be a potential captaincy candidate. If you throw in an outside name, you've got Ishan Kishan, who captained the Under 19 and the Jharkhand team as well. Team India should have a strong look at Shahrukh Khan, I think he is ready made, especially in the T20 format. He has the ability to come in and tonk a few sixes."

With the two new franchises having listed their three picks ahead of the mega auction, the event is slated to be held on February 12 and 13. The upcoming IPL campaign is slated to start from March 27, with the list of venues currently being shortlisted by the governing body.