Suryakumar Yadav: Decoding his sorry stats in ODI cricket
Suryakumar Yadav's lean patch in ODI cricket continues as he could only manage a 25-ball 19 in the series opener against West Indies. The dasher arrived at number three in a chase of 115 and was expected to finish off the game. Though he struck three boundaries and a maximum, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie eventually dismissed him. Here we decode his struggles in ODIs.
Why does this story matter?
Suryakumar has been a force to reckon with in T20I cricket, and his numbers are nothing but sensational in the format. He is even the top-ranked T20I batter at the moment. However, the right-handed batter hasn't really been able to replicate his brilliance in ODIs. With the ICC Cricket World Cup taking place later this year, Suryakumar needs to turn up sooner than later.
How has SKY fared in ODIs?
SKY, who made his ODI debut in July 2021, has played 24 games in the format so far. He has accumulated 452 runs in these games at a paltry average of 23.79 (SR: 100.67). The tally includes a couple of fifties. As mentioned, his T20I numbers are way better, with 1,675 runs at 46.53 (SR: 175.76). He boasts 13 fifties and three T20I hundreds.
Three successive ducks against Australia
SKY's preceding ODI assignment was the three-match home series against Australia earlier this year. He bagged golden ducks in all three games, scripting numerous unwanted records. As per Cricbuzz, 13 batters have recorded three ducks in a bilateral ODI series (from five to seven matches). SKY remains the only Indian on this list. Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc dismissed him twice in the series.
Horrendous run in recent times
SKY's numbers are nothing but disappointing in recent times. As per ESPNcricinfo, he has scored just 185 runs in his last 15 ODI innings at 13.21 (Highest: 34*). As far as his List-A numbers are concerned, he owns 3,306 runs in 126 games, with his average being 34.08 (SR: 103.7). He has 19 fifties and three centuries in 50-over cricket.
The Shreyas Iyer factor!
Notably, SKY has been receiving chances in ODIs lately as Shreyas Iyer, India's first-choice number-four batter in ODIs, is missing out due to a back injury. Iyer has been truly sensational in ODIs, scoring 1,631 runs at 46.6 (SR: 96.51).
How did the match pan out?
WI were 51/3 after 10 overs before Ravindra Jadeja came in and got rewarded with a three-fer. Skipper Shai Hope held WI's fort from one end but saw the others fall prey to India's left-arm spin. Kuldeep Yadav, who bowled just three overs, managed 4/6. Hope scored 43 for WI. In response, Ishan Kishan (52) powered the Men in Blue to a five-wicket win.
