'Important to give a batter like him cushion of extra games so that he finds that groove' - Rohit Sharma on Suryakumar Yadav's ODI challenges

Though Suryakumar Yadav has been ruling the world of T20I cricket like a King, the ODI format has turned out to be his Achilles heel, an issue the batter himself accepted recently. However, skipper Rohit Sharma has thrown his full support behind the stylish batter, stating they need to give him a cushion of a few extra games ahead of the ODI World Cup, slated for October-November.

Sharma acknowledged Yadav’s finesse in the T20 format and added how the latter has been making a lot of efforts to level up his ODI game. The skipper said that the T20I hero is still in the mix after being backed well by the management but is yet to adapt to the challenges of the 50-over game.

“There is no question about his ability in the T20 format. The challenges (in ODIs) are different. He is really working hard, and he is talking to a lot of guys who have played a lot of ODI cricket as to what attitude and mindset (to have). Surya is also in the mix. The team management backs him to come good in ODIs, but despite the chances, he is yet to adapt,” said Rohit Sharma at the La Liga event in Mumbai as quoted by India Today.

The 32-year-old, who has turned the T20 format into child's play, has bagged only 511 runs in 26 ODI games with a dismal average of 24.33. Sharma concluded by stating that Yadav is the kind of player who absolutely loves his freedom and cannot be dictated specific conditions.  

“He is the kind of player you also have to give him that freedom to go and bat the way he does. You cannot tell him to face 100 balls and make 50 runs. It is important to give a batter like him the cushion of extra games so that he finds that groove, and gets that confidence. The way he started IPL this year, in the first 4-5 games he did not have too many runs, but look what he did after that,” Sharma added.