Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians head coach said he is happy and proud for the Mumbai batsman Suryakumar Yadav as he was effusive in praising him after he made his debut for the Indian cricket team.
In the last three years, Suryakumar Yadav has stamped his authority in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as one of the most dominating batsmen. The Mumbai batsman has played a key role in defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in the last three seasons where he scored over 400 runs every time. His wait for his international debut ended recently when the Indian selectors named him for the limited-overs series against England.
Mahela Jayawardene Praised Dynamic Right Hander Suryakumar Yadav As His Hard Work Was Rewarded
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene heaped praise on the dynamic right-hander saying his hard work was finally rewarded with an international cap and it’s a big achievement to get into the Indian squad given the talent the country has at the moment.
“Very happy and proud that he made the India debut, well deserved for all the hard work that he has put in because it’s not an easier set up to get in because of the amount of talent that Indian cricket has at the moment. He definitely showed that he is in top form,” Mahela Jayawardene said in response to a query from timesnownews.com during a virtual press conference.
Despite scoring a heap of runs in the IPL as well as India’s domestic circuit, Suryakumar Yadav was left disappointed as he was left out of India’s tour of Australia in 2020. However, he made his debut in the T20I series against England which followed the Australia tour, and kicked off his international career with a magnificent six against English speedster Jofra Archer.
When asked about the role played by MI management to keep Suryakumar motivated as he waited for his international debut, Mahela Jayawardene added, “We didn’t have to do much. SKY was quite motivated, he had the ambition to play for India and he worked towards that. Not just on the field, but off the field as well, he worked on his fitness. In the last three years, we have challenged Surya in different positions up the order. Before that, he was mostly used as a finisher. We saw potential in him to bat up the order.”
Suryakumar Yadav has so far played two T20I innings. He has scored 89 runs at an average of 44.50 and a strike rate of 185.41. In IPL 2020, the likes of keepers Ishan Kishan (516), Quinton De Kock (503), and batsman Suryakumar Yadav (480) were consistent with the bat to help the Mumbai Indians side clinch their 2nd successive IPL title. Jasprit Bumrah claimed 27 wickets at 14.96 to finish as 2nd leading wicket-taker in IPL 2020.
Mahela Jayawardene: Suryakumar Yadav Has Been A Valuable Asset For Mumbai Indians Lineup
Suryakumar Yadav has scored 512, 424, and 484 runs respectively in the last three seasons for Mumbai Indians and has played a key role in them winning two titles.
Highlighting how Suryakumar has scaled new heights with Mumbai in the last three years, Mahela Jayawardene said, “The main challenge for him is to have that game plan and execute it out there in the middle. What he has done in the last three years is to evolve on that thought process against different oppositions, on different surfaces because he certainly has the skillset to do that. And that’s something we have seen in the last three years and he has been a valuable asset for this lineup with what he brings to the table. For us, Surya batting at three or while opening, he had same impact for us.”
Ishan Kishan, another Mumbai Indians batsman scored 56 runs off just 32 balls while Suryakumar Yadav did not get a chance to bat in the 2nd T20I match. Suryakumar Yadav got the chance to bat in the fourth T20I and went on to score 57 runs from 31 deliveries before scoring a rapid 32 off 17 balls in the series decider T20I and was inducted in the ODI squad.
In IPL 2021, MI is once again off to a good start having won two out of their three matches. Rohit Sharma and his men will now take on Delhi Capitals in their next match, to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 20.