Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody feels that the underperforming Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has been fortunate to secure a place in India’s ODI World Cup squad in place of the young left-handed all-rounder Tilak Varma has missed out on the opportunity to participate in the mega event on home soil.
The 32-year-old is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and naturally talented batsmen in the world. However, despite his strengths, he has struggled to perform consistently in the ODI format of the game while playing for India.
During a recent interview with Espncricinfo, Tom Moody expressed his thoughts on the squad selection for the ODI World Cup. Moody opined that while Suryakumar Yadav‘s numbers in ODI cricket may not be as impressive as Tilak Varma’s left-handed option. Moody believes that Tilak Varma, along with the in-form Ishan Kishan, would have been a valuable addition to the team.
“He is lucky to be in that squad purely because of the case that mounts against him for someone like Tilak Varma who gives you that left-hand batting specialist in the middle order who can bowl part-time spin.”
'The hard decision that needed to be made' – @TomMoodyCricket
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“It gives them flexibility around the Ishan Kishan discussion. Doesn’t mean both of them can’t play in the same side but it gives the flexibility that Rohit Sharma talked about quite regularly in the press conference,” Tom Moody said.
Tilak Varma has earned his first call-up to the Men in Blue for the continental event based on his impressive performance in the shorter format of the game. He caught the attention of many experts and fans with his outstanding performance in the T20 series against the West Indies but was not selected for the ODI World Cup.
I Don’t Think They Were Able To Resist The Temptation Of A Suryakumar Yadav – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar believes that the Indian team management could not resist the temptation of Suryakumar Yadav in the team following his impressive performance in T20 cricket. He asserts that Yadav has the capability to make a difference in the game, just like his unbelievable performance in the shorter format of the game.
“I don’t think they were able to resist the temptation of a Suryakumar Yadav in 50-over cricket because of the kind of magic he has done in T20 cricket.”
“The thing about Suryakumar Yadav is that he plays quality T20 innings, he plays it on the big stage. And if there’s a situation similar to T20 cricket and the big stage in the World Cup, who can rule Surya playing a terrific unbelievable innings and getting India into a match-winning situation,” Sanjay Manjrekar said.
Although Suryakumar Yadav has had limited opportunities, there has been much talk about his inability to perform well in the ODI format. Yadav, who hails from Mumbai, has played 26 ODI matches so far but has only managed to score two half-centuries with an average of 24.33, which is quite poor for his standards.