'There must've been some deep thinking' - Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Suryakumar Yadav opening in the first T20I

In the absence of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant was tipped to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma just the way he did in England but it came as a surprise when Suryakumar Yadav walked out to bat in the opening lineup. Just like many of the viewers, India’s experienced pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar also went through the same feeling.

When asked why India chose to open with Suryakumar Yadav in the series opener, Kumar provided an astounding response, perhaps joining the group of people who were startled. Bhuvneshwar, who has joined the team after sitting out the ODI segment of the tour, said he had little awareness of the decision-making process but is confident that skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid must have given it some serious thought.

When he was asked, at a pre-match press conference, what led to the decision to start the batting with Suryakumar Yadav, especially since the squad had previously started with Pant and Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar said-

“I really don’t know. Itna pata hai ki zaroor kuch thought process raha hoga (All I know that there must have been some thought process behind it). It surely wasn’t random. I’m sure whatever the coach and captain want to achieve something out of this. Honestly, I don’t know what exactly was the thought process behind it, but I’m sure there must’ve been some deep thinking.”

India’s hunt for opening partners continue

Unfortunately, although having a good foundation, Suryakumar Yadav was unable to seize the moment, and he had to walk back, scoring a 16-ball 24. In their most recent T20I series, India has been tinkering with its batting lineup, particularly the top order. Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad opened in the South Africa series, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda joined Kishan in the two-match Ireland series, and finally, Pant opened the innings with skipper Sharma in the England series.

The team management might be trying out different pairs in order to have plenty options for the T20 World Cup squad. With talent in abundance, it will be difficult for the Indian selectors to name a squad as almost every young player and new entrant has been performing outstandingly for the Men in Blue.