Everyone can be an X-factor but I think right now Surya Kumar Yadav is on the top of my list: Robin Uthappa

Surya Kumar Yadav is No.1 ranked T20I batter [Source: Twitter]

Ever since making his debut in 2021, Surya Kumar Yadav has taken T20I cricket by storm, amassing 1,578 runs for India, including three centuries and 13 half-centuries at a stunning strike rate of 180.34. However, the maverick is yet to make his mark in One-Day International (ODI) cricket. 

Speaking to IANS, former India opener Robin Uthappa maintains that Yadav is an X-factor and that India needs to play him in ODIs, keeping in the mind the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023. 

Yadav, who featured in the third and final ODI against Sri Lanka, managed just 4 runs. In the preceding T20Is, the 32-year-old scored his second T20I ton in the decider to help India clinch the series 2-1.

Here's what Uthappa said

"In the upcoming World Cup, everyone can be an X-factor but I think right now at the top of my list is Surya Kumar Yadav. Although, he didn’t play much in the ODI series against Sri Lanka (but) I definitely feel like players, who are getting regular chances will be feeling the pressure to actually keep performing because if they don’t perform, they can’t keep Surya out for a long time."

The former T20 World Cup-winning player further labelled Yadav as a multi utility-player having played with the maverick in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during their time with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise. 

Yadav could find himself on the bench once again with India expected to play their strongest XI in the first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday. 

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