Asia Cup 2022 Championship: Does India need to look elsewhere apart from Suryakumar Yadav for the 4th position?

Plenty of trials gave rise to numerous debates on all the experimentation the coach and captain did. The two most triggering topics were Suryakumar Yadav as an opener and the choice between Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik at number 4. 

Putting all the speculations to rest, India went with Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order, with Dinesh Karthik being chosen over Rishabh Pant as the finisher. 

Coming in to bat at number four against Hong Kong, the batter displayed his 360-degree skills within his two balls of his arrival. Pulling off a stunning 26-ball 68, he played jaw-dropping innovative shots with Virat Kohli supporting from the other end. His shots were out of the cricket books. 

Being experimented at 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place, the batter has his highest strike rate of 196.42 while playing at number 4. Accumulating 330 runs in 10 innings while coming at 4, he averages 41.25. He also has one century and two-half centuries while playing at this spot.

While comparing his figures with Rishabh Pant, who used to plug in at that spot quite often, Rishabh Pant carries an average of 20.63 and strike rate of 126.11 while coming to bat at number 4. And his numbers are pretty low considering the value the number 4 batter adds in the shortest format of the game. 

Even Deepak Hooda averages at 21 with a strike rate of 131.25, playing at 4th position. The comparison clearly expresses that India has found its probable best in the form of Suryakumar Yadav in 4th position. He has a healthy average and terrific strike rate to add sparkling value to his innings played till now.

Former selector Saba Karim said, “I still think that he is best suited at No.4, especially against a top-quality bowling attack. No.4 is a very important batting position in ICC events, you need a player like Suryakumar there. He is equally proficient against pacers and spinners and scores at a healthy strike rate.”

Former Indian cricketer Reetinder Sodhi said, “He is an exceptional player, he has proven himself at the International level. He is brilliant in the middle-order, he knows how to run the game, and he knows how to rotate the strike as well as score boundaries at regular intervals. He will keep the scoreboard ticking.”

After Hardik Pandya, now Suryakumar Yadav has also shown that he is ready for the T20 World Cup, and team India is getting better and better daily with their star getting their touch.

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