Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav (Credits: Twitter)

Suryakumar Yadav said that his mindset remains the same be it T20I or ODI. India is all set to take on England in the virtual finale at Manchester. Earlier India made a great start to the ODI series, beating England in the series opener only to lose the second match comprehensively.

Now, they would look to make amends for what happened at Lord’s where they crashed to a 100-run defeat.

Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav (Credits: Twitter)

Suryakumar Yadav’s Mindset Remains The Same In ODIs As One’s Intent Is Always To Make Runs On Board Even If India Loses Some Wickets

They would like to take inspiration from Suryakumar Yadav who scored a stupendous century in a losing cause at Trent Bridge Nottingham. Speaking in the pre-match press conference, the 31-year-old said that his mindset remains the same be it T20I or ODI.

“My mindset remains the same even in ODI cricket. Because as you know that it is very important to play the natural game and in ODI there is an advantage that five fielders are inside the circle.

“So, your intent is always to make runs. Even if we have lost some wickets, I always try to keep ticking the scoreboard, so that we don’t fall short in the end.”

Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav (Credits: Twitter)

Surya as he is known among his close mates comes from Mumbai’s ‘Khadoos’ school of cricket. This cricketing philosophy doesn’t have room for unorthodox or unconventional shots which is quite evident in his batting. When asked about this, he replied that a lot of Mumbai cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, who both are from Mumbai, are his idol, but cricket has moved on.

“I started playing by watching them (Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar), and they are our inspiration and will continue to be so. But the way cricket is going forward, and the way your opposition nowadays makes plans, you will have to be two steps ahead of them if you want to be successful at this level.

“So, I have assessed my game and figured out where should I score my runs so that I am two steps ahead of the bowler. That’s it, that’s how I have played, only that I have added some shots in my armory.”

Suryakumar Yadav was ruled out of the recently concluded five-match home T20I series against South Africa due to a forearm injury that he sustained during IPL 2022. He made a comeback on India’s tour of Ireland. In the two T20Is against Ireland, he made 0 and 15. In the next T20Is series against England, he scored 39, 15, and 117-but the latter ton came in a losing cause. In the 2nd ODI against England, he scored 27.

Suryakumar Yadav Recollects Rohit Sharma Was Batting With Him Even In His Domestic Debut

Speaking on his skipper Rohit Sharma, he reflected on the time both spent together, especially playing domestic cricket. He revealed that Rohit Sharma was the one who was batting across him the day he made his Mumbai debut. Apart from sharing the Indian dressing room, both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav represented Mumbai in domestic cricket and play for the same IPL side, Mumbai Indians.

“Rohit has seen me for a long time, and even when I made my domestic debut, it was Rohit who was batting with me. He always provides me with valuable feedback on what I can add in my batting. I always ask him, ‘how can I bat long, or where should I score’.”

“Everyone like personal milestones, but if you put the team ahead, you will do good,” he added.

Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma Photo Credit: (BCCI)

Suryakumar Yadav made his international debut in the Twenty20 International series against England in February 2021. His ODI debut happened six months later during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in August 2021. His average of 49 in ODIs and a strike rate of 177.22 in Twenty20 Internationals is a great start, but he has to do well in the coming years.