Suryakumar Backs Abhishek Sharma Despite T20 World Cup Strugglades

India's Suryakumar praises Sharma's form

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav supports Abhishek Sharma after three ducks in T20 World Cup.

“I worry for the people who are worried ‌about Abhishek's form..”

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav is standing firmly behind opener Abhishek Sharma, despite his struggles in the T20 World Cup. Sharma has been dismissed for a duck three times in the group stage and missed one game due to a stomach infection, but Suryakumar believes his team is ready to support him until he regains his form.

Suryakumar emphasized that Sharma's past performances, including two centuries and eight fifties, make him a valuable asset to the team. He also pointed out that the team has a flexible batting order, which allows them to adapt to different situations. Suryakumar jokingly said he's more worried about the teams that will face Sharma once he starts scoring again.

“I worry for the people who are worried ‌about Abhishek's form,” Suryakumar told reporters on Saturday, ahead of defending champions India's Super Eight clash with last edition's runners-up South Africa.

“But I think about those ‌teams who are going to play against ⁠him... When he scores a run, ‌you have seen what happens. Last year he covered for us, now we will cover for him.”

Abhishek Sharma, India's T20 specialist, was Player of the Tournament in last year's Asia Cup win. The 25-year-old also stunned New Zealand with a 14-ball half-century last month, India's second-fastest T20I fifty.

Flexibility in Batting Order: India's Key Strategy

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav emphasized the team's flexibility in batting, stating that they've picked up enough runs in the powerplay despite losing Abhishek Sharma early, contributing to their unbeaten run in the group stage. Suryakumar highlighted that players from No. 3 to No. 8 need to be flexible, adapting to match situations and playing accordingly.

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This approach has allowed India to navigate challenging pitches and opposition bowling. Suryakumar insisted on sticking with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan as openers but emphasized flexibility in the batting order from No. 3 onwards, enabling them to quickly adapt to match requirements.

“It's going ‌well in the powerplay. We're making 50-40 runs. That's normal cricket,” he said.

“We also have expectations from ourselves - expectation to make 220, 240, 250. But wickets are a little different here.

“The four wickets we have played on so far were a little different and challenging... So we have started preparation for that and hopefully we will tackle it as we start our Super Eight journey.”

Suryakumar Yadav stuck with Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan as openers but emphasized flexibility from No. 3 onwards. “The strategy is to have a flexible batting order from three so we can quickly adapt to what the match requires,” he said.

“Except the openers I think from three to seven, or three to eight, everyone has to be very flexible and that has been the message in the group,” he said.

“Even I am flexible, I have said the same thing to everyone. So ⁠if we get into that ⁠situation, we will definitely have ‌it and take that call.”