New Delhi: Suryakumar Yadav has no qualms in admitting that he didn’t deserve to be in India’s Champions Trophy squad after repeated poor performance in ODIs.
The BCCI selectors didn’t pick him in their 15-member squad for the 50-over mega event but named him skipper of the India side that takes on England in a five-match T20I series that begins in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Yadav has developed to become one of the most destructive batters in T20Is but hasn’t been able to replicate the form in the 50-over format, scoring only 773 runs in 37 ODIs at an average of 25.76 in the middle order.
It has dropped him well behind the pecking order in the eyes of the BCCI selectors and asked to react about his non-inclusion, Yadav said, “Why would it hurt? If I do well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy. If I don’t do well, it’s important to accept that.”
“And at the same time, if you see the (CT) squad, it’s looking really good. Whoever is there, they are all good performers. They have done relatively well in that format for India and also playing domestic cricket and I am very happy for them.
“It hurts to think that I have not done well. And if I had done well, I would have stayed there. If I haven’t done well, someone who deserves to have done really well, deserves to be there.”
‘Lethal combination’
With Mohammed Shami returning to the team from an ankle injury after 14 months, his combination with Jasprit Bumrah and comeback-man Mohammed Shami could be deadly for any team in the Champions Trophy, Yadav said.
Bumrah is yet to bowl since picking up a back injury during the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar series but as been included in the squad for CT that begins on February 19.
“They have played a lot of cricket together. They are experienced bowlers. And whenever you play for India, it’s a different feeling, different emotion. Added responsibility and you love playing,” Yadav said.
“So, it will be fun to see them bowling together again. Like we saw in the 2023 ODI World Cup. They bowled really well. And hopefully, we will see the same bowling in the Champions Trophy.”
Suryakumar Yadav has developed to become one of the most destructive batters in T20Is but hasn’t been able to replicate the form in the 50-over format Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
