Asia Cup 2023: Confident Suryakumar Yadav keen on cracking ODI format code

World No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav is keen on repaying the team management and selectors’ faith in him with a strong show at the Asia Cup 2023, starting August 30. Suryakumar was picked in India’s 17-man squad despite his lean run in the 50-over format of the game.

Suryakumar Yadav has been training along with his teammates in Alur in India’s special preparatory camp for the Asia Cup. India begin their campaign with a big-ticket clash against Pakistan in Kandy, Sri Lanka on September 2 and the training camp in Bengaluru is being seen as an important one in the team’s journey to some high-quality action in the continental tournament.

Despite his jaw-dropping dominant run in T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav has struggled to adjust to the pace of the 50-over format of cricket. In the tour of West Indies in August, Suryakumar was asked to bat at No. 6 but the star batter struggled to get used to the spot. However, it seems that the team management want him to bat at the spot and role clarity might help him turn it around.

“Everyone is saying that ‘T20 is going good for me, both are white ball cricket but why I am not able to crack the code in the 50-over format.’ But, I am doing my practice because according to me, this format is the most challenging one. The reason behind this is because here you have to play like the other 3 formats. First by setting down with calmness and composure, then rotating the strike well, followed by at last the T20 gameplay,” Suryakumar Yadav told Star Sports.

“So, balance is very important in this format, and for that reason, I am doing a lot of practices and also having conversations regarding this with Rahul Sir, Rohit bhai, and Virat bhai. Hopefully, with this tournament going forward, I will crack the code. I am just trying to keep my intent and approach the same at least, because it’s very important to stick to your approach when you are playing this sport. But I am trying to play with the situation.

“For example, if I am going to bat at the 30th over and 20 overs are remaining, then from the beginning I can’t play my game like I play in T20 because there we will be only down with one wicket and here four wickets, so I have to play with that situation. So I am doing my practice in that way to decode this format, and hopefully, I will decode it with the sort of preparation I’m having.”

In his 26 ODIs, he has managed to accumulate only 511 runs at an average of 24.33, a record that has sparked doubts about his place in the Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.

His struggles have been particularly evident in the year 2023. He has had difficulty pacing his innings, often throwing away good starts and struggling against deliveries that come back in. This pattern of dismissals has added to the concerns about his performance.

In a candid confession during the tour of the West Indies, Suryakumar admitted that his ODI numbers are “absolutely bad” but expressed his determination to turn this responsibility into an opportunity. He acknowledged the advice he received from team management, including Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, and expressed his commitment to applying it to his game.