KOLKATA: After Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, it’s time for Suryakumar Yadav to strive at getting back among the runs through domestic cricket. In a series which India convincingly won 4-1 against England, the India T20I skipper managed just 28 runs in five innings. He failed to open his account on two occasions and his highest score of 14 did not speak well about the middle-order batter’s talent and potential.
However, Surya was candid to admit his shortcomings.”If I did well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy team. If I don’t do well, it’s important to accept that,” he said before the start of the five-match T20I series against England. The batter was seen working out long hours at the nets a day before Mumbai take on Haryana in a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Eden Gardens here from Saturday. “I am hopeful of getting my touch back,” he stated while boarding the team bus.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Surya, who last played for his state side earlier this season, scored seven runs in a nine-wicket win over Maharashtra. He returned to the Mumbai side along with allrounder Shivam Dube, giving Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane a nice selection headache.
They have three centurions from their previous game, with Siddhesh Lad, Akash Anand and Shams Mulani all getting three-figure scores in their biggest win — by an innings and 456 runs — against Meghalaya in their last group match to qualify for the knockouts.
It will thus not be easy to rejig the side with the axe likely to fall on Amogh Bhatkal and Suryansh Shedge.
While Shardul Thakur, along with left-arm spinner Shams Mulani and in-form off-spinner Tanush Kotian are likely to shoulder the bulk of the bowling load, Dube was also seen bowling quite a bit in the nets.
With the match being shifted to Eden from Lahli at the last moment, Haryana will surely be deprived of their home advantage. But they have played some good cricket this season to make the quarters topping their group with 29 points. With skipper Ankit Kumar, Nishant Sindhu, Himanshu Rana and Yuvraj Singh all among runs, Haryana will hope to put up a good challenge for the defending champions.
The Haryana bowlers have also risen to the challenge scripting come-from-behind victories against Punjab and Bengal this season. Pacer Anshul Kamboj has been the rising star of this season picking up 29 wickets in five Ranji matches so far. He is well assisted by Anuj Thakral while the return of Jayant Yadav will add value to the side’s batting and bowling departments.
