'Suryakumar Won't Be There...' - Virender Sehwag's Shocking Remark

image-ln8irpg4SKY scored two consecutive fifties against AUS (AP Photo)

Even as Suryakumar Yadav bolstered his case for the 2023 World Cup with a pair of highly impressive half-centuries in the 2-1 series win against Australia, batting great Virender Sehwag said the extravagant middle-order right-hander "won't be there" in India's first-choice playing 11. 

Sehwag reiterated the Indian hierarchy and explained why Suryakumar wouldn't be able to play the team's opening World Cup encounter against Australia in Chennai on October 8. 

With India's middle-order incumbents KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer returning from their respective injuries and scoring a hundred apiece in the lead-up to the 50-over spectacle, Sehwag pressed home the fact that Suryakumar is one of their backup options and there is no opening available at No.6 and No.7 with prominent allrounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja holding the spots. 

"At No. 6 and 7 KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya will be there. So Suryakumar won’t be there at either of those positions. There is No. 5 though. But if Hardik Pandya is your sixth bowler then Rahul will bat at No. 5, and Hardik at No. 6, then comes the bowlers," Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

"We thought Ishan Kishan could fit in somewhere in the line-up, but that hundred which Shreyas Iyer scored, if he plays at No. 4 then it will be Iyer, Rahul and Hardik at No. 4, 5 and 6 respectively," he added.  

Walking in at No.6, Suryakumar vindicated the persistent backing provided to him by head coach Rahul Dravid with a matured knock of 50 from 49 deliveries at the fag end of the successful Indian run-chase in Mohali and backed it up with a characteristic 72 not out off 37 balls in Indore. 

Suryakumar would've been a shoo-in for the Australian clash at Chepauk if not for his position in the Indian hierarchy, which is based on the record. The explosive Mumbai batter is a match-winner on his day but averages a measly 27.79 after 30 ODIs, way below India's preferred middle-order duo of Rahul and Iyer. 

Sehwag reminded, however, that Suryakumar wouldn't be a straightforward replacement in the playing XI even if one of Rahul and Iyer is injured. The legend brought up the case of Ishan Kishan, India's backup wicketkeeper and flexible batter, who could find the nod ahead of Suryakumar due to his left-hand utility.

"Now it depends on how India look at this combination, whether they feel Hardik will certainly bowl 10 overs because that will give India an extra bowler. So then Suryakumar cannot fit in there and even if there is a slot, then Ishan should be picked ahead because he is a left-hander," Sehwag concluded.