No reason why Suryakumar Yadav can't be a part of Indian team, reckons Brian Lara
Brian Lara has asserted that Suryakumar Yadav has done a fabulous job for Mumbai Indians and he has to be in the Indian squad. The legendary batsman has further asserted that Suryakumar Yadav has been one of the most reliable players for the franchise and scored runs whenever they needed.
Since moving to the Mumbai Indians three years ago, Suryakumar Yadav hasnāt put a foot wrong towards his long-standing Indian dream. Yet the cap has eluded him more than anyone else. In the 2020 IPL, he decided to knock the door down with a season that saw him scoring 480 runs while overcoming the 2000-run barrier in his IPL career - the first uncapped player to do so - but the Sunil Joshi-led selection committee failed to guarantee a spot for himself. That has made many fans and experts furious about the decision and Brian Lara is the latest to join the debate.
"I see no reason why, looking at the (Indian) squad, he can't be a part of it," Lara said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Connected'.
"Yeah, definitely. He is a class player. I don't just look at players that score runs, I look at their technique, capabilities under pressure, positions that they are batting and for me, Suryakumar Yadav has done such a wonderful job for Mumbai."
Lara, who was a commentator in the Indian Premier League, and was a vocal supporter of the Mumabikar during his commentary stint, added that with Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma opening the batting, a lot of responsibility lied on SKY to carry on the momentum - something, the West Indian feels, he did remarkably well.
"He comes to bat on the back of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, and every time they (MI) are under pressure, he comes in at No. 3. Just remember, other than the openers, the No. 3 batsman in any cricket team is normally your best player, your most reliable player and for me, he (Surya) has been that for Mumbai Indians," he stated.