With the ICC T20 World Cup barely being three months away, teams are gearing up for the all-exciting event which will be held in the UAE and Oman. The tournament commences on October 17 and this is the first T20 World Cup in five years. India were knocked out by West Indies in the semi-finals of the last World Cup at home.
The men in blue would be desperate to break their ICC tournament jinx this time around. India haven’t won an ICC tournament in eight years and their last victory was in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. While winning an ICC trophy will be their primary goal, Team India would also want to focus on the playing condition.
The side will not be playing too many white-ball matches between now and the T20 World Cup and therefore, the squad selection could prove to be quite a challenge. With that being said, one unexpected name that has been doing the rounds is that of Suryakumar Yadav.
On the back of sensational and consistent IPL performances, Suryakumar finally saw himself being called up to the national side earlier this year during the series against England. Since then, he has delivered the goods and hasn’t disappointed. Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg thinks it will be hard for the Indian selectors to ignore the Mumbai Indians batsman.
“I think Suryakumar Yadav is definitely going to be in the World Cup. Virat Kohli will be opening with Rohit Sharma and you’ll have Suryakumar Yadav coming in at No. 3. I just think he’s expanded his game… the range of shots that he’s got… he’s unorthodox as well so he can play different ramp shots on both leg and off side, but he can also attack you and use his feet,” Hogg said while answering a question from a fan on his YouTube channel.
Hogg also went on to make a bold claim. He believes that not only will Suryakumar be very important for the Indian batting order, but he could also possibly be the Man of the Tournament.
“I just think he is going to be the difference in this particular tournament. If he stands out and puts the bowlers off with that array of shots, I think he is going to set the tournament up for India. For me, I think Suryakumar Yadav is the man for India and I think he’s the man to watch at the T20 World Cup. I think he might be Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup. That’s a big call so far out,” Hogg added.
