ICC-ranked World's no. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav has been facing heat for prolonged lean patch - three back-to-back ducks - in recently-concluded three-match One-Day-International series against mighty Aussies. India lost home ODI series 1-2 against Australia. Suryakumar Yadav didn't score a single run in IND vs AUS ODIs after which his place in India's ODI squad has come under scanner.
With star middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer unavailable for next few months due to injury, calls have even gotten louder for spin all-rounder Sanju Samson's inclusion in India's ODI setup.
Meanwhile, 1983 World Cup winner Kapil Dev has come up with a straightforward verdict on the raging Sanju Samson vs Suryakumar Yadav debate. As per the veteran, the team management should back Suryakumar, give him more opportunities.
"A cricketer who has played so well will always get more chances. Don't compare Surya with Sanju Samson, it doesn't seem right. If Sanju goes through a bad phase then you will talk about somebody else. This should not happen. If the team management has decided to back Suryakumar Yadav then he should be given more chances. Yes, people will talk, give their opinion but ultimately it's the management's call," Kapil told ABP News.
Suryakumar Yadav batted at No. 7 position in third and final ODI after batting at No. 4 in first two ODIs.
Explaining why possibly the team management asked Surya to bat down the order, Kapil said, "It's very easy to talk after the match is finished. Maybe the idea behind sending Suryakumar at No.7 was to give him an opportunity as a finisher. This (shuffling of the batting order) is nothing new in ODIs. This has happened many times before. Yes, at times it can happen that a batter's confidence is dented if he has been dragged down the order. But the onus rests on the player to tell his captain that 'I can handle myself in the top order.' The coach and captain must have taken the decision with particular thinking."