'Suryakumar Yadav should play all three formats'- Suresh Raina

Suryakumar Yadav in action [Source: AP]

Riding on the back of a phenomenal 2022, Surya Kumar Yadav was awarded ICC T20I Men's Cricketer for Year. 

Yadav, known for his explosive batting, finds himself in the Test scheme of things in the upcoming Australia series.

However, some fans and experts, who reckon him as a T20 specialist, have opposed his inclusion in Tests. 

Meanwhile, former Indian player Suresh Raina has backed the Mumbai batter and urged the team management to play him in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. 

Speaking on Viacom18 Sports, the former Chennai Super Kings player hailed Surya's range of shots and advised India to field him across all formats. 

Here's what Raina said

"The way he is performing, I think he should play in all three formats and without him, all three formats should not even exist. The way he performed, the way he shows intent, the way he plans different shots, he also plays fearlessly and knows how to use the dimension of the ground,

"He is a Mumbai player, and he knows how to play red-ball cricket. I think he has a great chance – playing Test cricket will get him another establishment in ODIs and some stability as well. He will score multiple 100s and then 200s."

The first Test between India and Australia gets underway on February 9 at Nagpur. Meanwhile, Yadav will be in action in the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand starting on Friday. 

Also Read: Gillespie believes Cummins and Co. can create history in India