'IPL 2022 is great opportunity for him to cement his place in Indian team': Gavaskar on 31-year-old Mumbai Indians star

IPL 2022 is returning home after its UAE spell and the competition will also decide the fate of a few Indian players ahead of this year's World T20.

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have a proven record of nurturing the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Pandya brothers and many more. The Mumbai-based outfit is set to play in their own backyard as the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) comprising 10 teams is slated to begin from March 26 at four venues in Maharashtra.

Sunil Gavaskar has his say on MI star cementing his team in Indian team (PTI | Twitter)

The lucrative T20 tournament is returning home after its UAE spell and the competition will also decide the fate of a few Indian players ahead of this year's World T20. The Indian team management is scratching its head over the perfect combination for the T20 showpiece event in Australia and a stellar IPL season may boost the chances of a player. Mumbai Indians also have a few names waiting to get into the World Cup-bound Indian contingent.

Suryakumar Yadav, one of the four players retained by Mumbai Indians, is also eyeing a T20 World Cup berth. The right-handed batter was in fantastic form during the recent T20 assignment against the West Indies where he won the 'Player of the Series' award. He is a key element of MI's batting set-up and legendary Sunil Gavaskar believes the impending IPL season presents Surya with a great chance to cement his place in the Indian team.

“It has been a wonderful last couple of seasons for Suryakumar Yadav and IPL 2022 is a great opportunity for him to cement his place in the Indian team by performing well again this season. The Indian team for the T20 World Cup will to a great extent be decided on IPL performances. So, Yadav has got this great opportunity to enhance his chances to be picked in the squad that flies to Australia," said Gavaskar during a Gameplan show on Star Sports.

Mumbai Indians play their opening game against Delhi Capitals on March 27 but Suryakumar is unlikely to feature in the eleven. He's currently recovering from a hairline fracture on his thumb -- an injury which he sustained the injury during the T20 series against the West Indies.

Gavaskar also spoke about David Warner's return to his old IPL franchise and predicted the star Australian batter will contribute "heavily" for Delhi Capitals. A bittersweet season with Sunrisers Hyderabad last year led to his unceremonious exit but the left-handed opener has so far played 150 IPL matches and amassed 5,449 runs in the tournament, playing for various franchises.

“At this stage in Warner’s career, he does not have to prove anything to anybody except himself. Last year was just one of those bad patches that every cricketer goes through, and he will contribute heavily with the bat for Delhi Capitals this time around," he said.