Suryakumar Yadav should have been a part of Team India for Australia tour, feels Brian Lara

Former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara feels that Suryakumar Yadav should have been picked in the Indian squad for the tour of Australia. The three national squads were named when Yadav was weaving magic for the Mumbai Indians in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. However, despite playing some match-winning hands, he couldn’t find a spot for the overseas tour.

Lara, who holds the record for the highest individual score of 400 in Test cricket, mentioned that the 30-year-old Suryakumar has the potential to deliver under pressure and has the apt technique to succeed at the highest level.

“Yeah, definitely. He’s a class player. I don’t just look at players that score runs, I look at their technique, capabilities under pressure, positions that they’re batting and for me, Suryakumar Yadav has done such a wonderful job for Mumbai,” Lara was quoted as saying on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

Suryakumar Yadav has been the most reliable player for MI, reckons Lara

In 16 matches in IPL 2020, the right-hander smashed 480 runs including a match-winning 79 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Lara quipped that having batted at number three, the MI team, led by Rohit Sharma, showed faith in him in crunch moments.

“He comes to bat on the back of Rohit Sharma, and Quinton de Kock and every time, they are under pressure, he comes in at No. 3. Just remember, your No. 3 batsman, other than the openers, the No. 3 batsman in any cricket team is normally your best player, your most reliable player.

“And for me, he has been that for Mumbai Indians and I see no reason why, looking at the squad, he can be a part of it,” Lara added.

After not getting picked Yadav was disappointed, but the decision didn’t come as a surprise to him. The right-hander was in the middle of a gym session and he left his training midway after getting to know that he’s been left out.

In the last three years, Yadav has shown his class for the Mumbai-based franchise. He has also performed to expectations in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.