ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Will Suryakumar Yadav get included in India's playing XI? Batting coach Vikram Rathour answers

Suryakumar Yadav is included in India's 15-member squad for the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

Suryakumar Yadav has been in good form off the late in ODIs, having found his mojo in the format after initially struggling. But he is yet to make his ICC Cricket World Cup debut and India batting coach Vikram Rathour shed light on the same during a presser ahead of India’s match against Afghanistan in Delhi.

After getting infamy for scoring three first-ball ducks against Australia in ODIs earlier this year, Suryakumar Yadav turned the tables around when he scored two back-to-back fifties against the same opposition in ODIs just before the World Cup began.

His 72* in Indore was a testament to his overflowing talent in death overs and he hammered sixes and fours to all corners of the stadium, taking India to 399, their highest ODI total against Australia. This also led to him being named in the final 15 squad of the Men in Blue side for the World Cup.

Vikram Rathour speaks on whether Suryakumar Yadav will get a chance in the ongoing ICC World Cup

However, with all the big guns back in the team for the World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav found himself out of the playing XI. He was not picked for India’s opening World Cup encounter against Australia in Chennai and batting coach Vikram Rathour has shed some light on his possible inclusion in the team going forward in the tournament.

Vikram Rathour attended the press conference on the eve of the India vs Afghanistan World Cup match in Delhi and fielded some questions from the journos.

One such question was: “There is a lot of talk about Surya. Can we see him in the next 2-3 matches? Or is it a set combination and the Indian team will go with him?”

The India batting coach didn’t give any definitive answer to the question but said that if the team management feels that a certain situation warrants him to be included in the India XI, he will be picked.  

Rathour replied: “Whoever is being given the opportunity, I think the belief of team management is that he should get a proper opportunity. We need to back everyone. Whoever is playing should get enough opportunity. And if there is a situation where we feel that Surya should be brought in, again he has been batting really well. He has been playing well, he is preparing well. So, if we feel that Surya should be brought in, we will definitely play him.”