his career in the longer white ball format fell short of general expectations Although he remains one of the most explosive batters in modern T20 history. Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav recently made a candid confession regarding his inability to establish a lasting legacy in the 50 over format, despite his phenomenal dominance in T20 cricket. Earlier this year, Surya successfully led India to T20 World Cup glory, yet he struggled to secure a permanent spot in the ODI lineup, playing a total of 37 matches and scoring 773 runs at an average of 25.76. His final appearance in the format occurred during the 2023 World Cup final against Australia, after which he dropped out of the national ODI setup entirely.
But the reality is that I played only one Test and one innings. After that, the other players came back and started playing again, so it didn’t happen. But definitely, I am disappointed with myself when it comes to ODI cricket. Discussing the intricacies of batting in the middle order, Suryakumar explained why he regards ODI cricket as the most demanding format for any batter. He emphasized how quickly a player can find themselves under intense pressure depending on the game situation. ‘I feel ODI cricket is probably the most difficult format to play as a batter, whether you are batting lower down the order or anywhere else. You can be two down for zero if you are batting at No. Anything can happen. You have to bat almost like you do in a Test match. You see off the bowlers initially, give them respect and slowly build your innings.
He openly admitted that he feels disappointed with his performances in 50 over cricket. Addressing his difficulties with the format, Suryakumar stated, ‘Hypothetically, we can say anything – that if I had come into the team in 2016, I could have played Tests and probably done well in ODIs too. 4, or four down for 24 if you are batting at No. 6. You may bat at a strike rate of 50 or sometimes 75, then take it to 100 and eventually finish at 130 or 140, much like you do in T20 cricket,’ he elaborated.
Reflecting on his trajectory during an appearance on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar noted that while fans often wonder how his career might have evolved had he entered the national side earlier, he refuses to offer excuses for his shortcomings.
