IND vs WI 2022: "Some mistakes are such that they are completely out in the open" - Reetinder Singh Sodhi criticizes Team India's decision to promote Suryakumar Yadav up the order 

Former Indian player Reetinder Singh Sodhi criticized Team India's thought process behind sending Suryakumar Yadav to bat as an opener in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. The right-handed batter scored 36 runs across two innings while batting at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma.

The Mumbai batter got off to a good start on both occasions but was unable to make it count. Moreover, the promotion of Suryakumar Yadav left a void in the middle order, leading to lopsided contributions from the visitors' batting unit.

Opining that Suryakumar Yadav batting at No.4 makes the most sense, Reetinder Singh Sodhi said in an interaction with India News Sports:

"Some mistakes are such that they are completely out in the open. Any layman understands the fact that Suryakumar Yadav is best suited at No.4 so do not tamper with his position."

Sodhi added:

Even if you do, just do not repeat it after it does not pay off. The Indian team management have to change their thought process."

Suryakumar Yadav had a brief stint at the top of the order for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2018. He finished as the highest scorer for his franchise in that edition with 512 runs in 14 matches at a healthy strike rate of 133.33.

Despite the impressive numbers in the campaign and his versatility to move up and down the order, the requirements at present are vastly different, especially considering the slew of openers on the sidelines.

Rohit Sharma has defended the ploy to promote Suryakumar Yadav up the order. The Indian skipper also expressed his desire to see the batters perform well in various positions in the order.

Claiming that shuffling the personnel in the batting order is fine as long as it doesn't involve the top-order, former India selector Saba Karim said:

"Rohit Sharma had mentioned at the toss that he wishes to see players playing different positions. That is fine, but with middle-order batters, at least the top-order should be constant and settled. We have already lost plenty of wickets in the series to the new ball. I am still unclear over the thoughts and objectives behind this tactic. Don't know what they are trying to achieve."

The Men in Blue suffered a five-wicket loss in the second T20I against the West Indies primarily due to a poor batting performance. After losing the entire top-order inside the powerplay, the onus was once again on the lower-middle order to construct an innings.

"Experimentation is fine, it is a good thing, but this is too much" - Reetinder Singh Sodhi wants Team India to reflect upon their tactics

Since the culmination of the 2021 T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue have invested in the principle of experimentation. Several players were given the opportunity to make a case for themselves with the cramped cricketing calendar helping their case.

Failing to understand why the Men in Blue are going for make-shift openers when they have several waiting on the sidelines, Sodhi said:

"Experimentation is fine, it is a good thing, but this is too much. It may be over trying or desperation. When you already have good openers, who are proven match winners, then why is the team looking out for more options? "

Sodhi concluded:

"When the new tactic is failing, why are you not learning from this? The Indian team has a lot to ponder."

The Rohit Sharma-led team will take on the West Indies in the third T20I at Warner Park, St.Kitts, on Tuesday (August 2). The series is poised at 1-1 with three more matches to go.

Do you feel the Men in Blue are going overboard with their experimentation just months away from the T20 World Cup? Let us know what you think.