India are still yet to narrow down on their final 15 for the impending 2022 T20 World Cup and are hence still looking at primary and back-up options for each particular slot. And the one area where India have experimented the most in 2022 has been the opening position. With Suryakumar Yadav walking in alongside captain Rohit Sharma at the start of India's innings in the first T20I match of the series against West Indies in Trinidad, he became the seventh opener for the Men in Blue in this calendar year. But even though Suryakumar got India off to a brisk start, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif slammed head coach Rahul Dravid and Rohit for their strategy.
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India have tried as many as seven openers including Rohit with Ishan Kishan being the most common choice. The youngster opened 13 times for India in 2022, scoring 419 runs with three fifties.
Kaif, in conversation with Fan Code at the end of India's innings, opined that India should have gone with Rishabh Pant for a few more innings. The wicketkeeper-batter had opened for India in the England series earlier this month scoring a 15-ball 26 and 5-ball 1. The veteran cricketer explained that their decision regarding Pant has been unlike any of their decision so far where they have been seen backing players for at least 5-6 innings before moving to the next option.
“Whatever that was I did not understand it, at all. If you were trying Rishabh Pant as the opener for 2-3 matches then you should have gone with him today as well. Give him at least 5 chances. And this strategy of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid, they back the players at least 5-6 matches. But this did not happen with Pant. And Suryakumar has the role of controlling the innings in the middle and adding those finishing touches. In fact his role will remain as No.4 batter when Kohli and Rahul returns. But Pant should have been tried. Clearly did not understand what happened. Ishan Kishan is also waiting,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Whatever that was I did not understand it, at all. If you were trying Rishabh Pant as the opener for 2-3 matches then you should have gone with him today as well. Give him at least 5 chances. And this strategy of captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid, they back the players at least 5-6 matches. But this did not happen with Pant. And Suryakumar has the role of controlling the innings in the middle and adding those finishing touches. In fact his role will remain as No.4 batter when Kohli and Rahul returns. But Pant should have been tried. Clearly did not understand what happened. Ishan Kishan is also waiting,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}This was the first time Suryakumar opened for India in the T20I format. He laced three boundaries and a six to score a 16-ball 24 which helped the opening pair get to 44 runs in 28 balls before he was dismissed by Akeal Hossein.
India eventually finished with 190 for six in 20 overs.