With the ODI World Cup on the horizon, the Indian team management has asked swashbuckler Suryakumar Yadav to play at least 45-50 balls in the last 15-18 overs, in the format in which his numbers are ordinary and he has “no shame in accepting that”. After guiding India to a seven-wicket victory over the West Indies with his brutal knock of 83 off 44 balls in the third T20 International, which kept the five-match series alive, the batter was candid in his assessment of his poor record in the 50-over game. “My ODI numbers are very poor and there is no shame in accepting that. Being honest is very important because everyone knows that, because we all talk about honesty. “So it is very important to stay honest about your performance. But what is more important is how to improve that,” Suryakumar said at the post-match press conference. Captain Rohit Sharma and Coach Rahul Dravid have advised him to play this format more. If you are batting in the last 10-15 overs, think what you can do for the team. All we want from you is to play 45-50 ball if you are getting to bat in the 15-18 overs, play your own game. It’s in my hand now how to change the responsibility into an opportunity,” he said. In the ODI series against the Windies, he could not make his presence felt, managing scores of 19, 24 and 35 in the three matches. So far, he has played 26 ODIs and scored 511 runs at an average of 24.33, a far cry from his T20I average of 45.6. In 2023, Suryakumar played 10 ODIs and scored an average of just 14 runs. “We have played a lot of T20Is, so it has become a habit. We play T20 regularly, and all we need to do is express ourselves. But we do not play a lot of one-dayers, and ODI is the most challenging format. Before the ODI World Cup, Suryakumar said the team has good number of matches lined up to help them prepare in the best possible way for the showpiece, which India is hosting. “We have 7-8 games before the ODI World Cup. It’s enough for a team to prepare. We also have a camp before that where all the players will gather. It’s important to spend time together, understand strengths and weaknesses. We will try to win hopefully,” he said. Reflecting on his knock on Tuesday, he said, “I think I didn’t do anything different, I have been batting the same way in the last two years. Today was also the same day, I just had to go out and express myself the way I have been doing in the last few years. And everything kept falling in place the way I batted. “I am never thinking about milestones in my mind. Because you have seen my innings, even when I’m batting on 47, or 98, I play as per the team’s requirement and achieve a milestone with a boundary or a six. When asked about Tilak Varma, who impressed once again with his unbeaten 49-run
