Suryakumar Yadav delivered an exceptional performance for the Indian cricket team in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. His outstanding form came as a relief for the explosive batter, who faced doubts about his selection for the 2023 Cricket World Cup from both experts and fans. However, Yadav showcased his explosive best by scoring two half-centuries, leading his team to a series victory. While his recent form has been impressive, legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar remains sceptical of his ODI abilities and shared a straightforward opinion regarding his inclusion in the World Cup playing XI.
Gavaskar commented, “Suryakumar hasn’t done anything big yet in ODI cricket. He only bats in those final 15-20 overs where he utilises his T20 abilities which undoubtedly is important as well.” He said that even Ishan and Rahul could all do that same job. “So Iyer is confirmed for No. 4. Suryakumar will have to wait and if he does get a chance at No. 4 he has to score a big hundred and show that he can also score a ton as well,” Gavaskar added.
In related news, India has unsurprisingly named veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a replacement for the injured spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel in their 15-member squad for the upcoming Cricket World Cup. Axar Patel sustained a quadriceps tear and is unlikely to recover in time for the tournament. This prompted the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to include the 37-year-old Ashwin, who performed admirably in the recent ODI series against Australia, securing four wickets in two games.
ICC stated in a media release, “Axar Patel has failed to recover in time for the World Cup after sustaining a left quadriceps strain during India’s Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh. The spin-bowling all-rounder missed the final of the Asia Cup as a result.” As per the press release, Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named as his replacement in the aftermath of the situation. It further described that he made an impressive return to ODI cricket in the recently concluded series against Australia, where he picked up four wickets in two games.
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