'Make Him Bat at No. 3': Suryakumar Yadav's Brilliance Echoes Viv Richards, Says Ex-Windies Skipper

The cricket pundits have been calling India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 a balanced side. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced the team last week which appears to be a decent mix of youth and experience, covering almost every base. But once the tournament begins, in the US and the West Indies, it won’t be easy for the team management to pick eleven players from the group of 15.

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has hopped onto the bandwagon of cricket pundits speculating India's potential XI for the upcoming showpiece event. Joining the ranks of the game's luminaries, Lara advocates for Suryakumar Yadav to occupy the crucial No. 3 batting position .

In his conversation with the Press Trust of India, Lara proposed that if Suryakumar were granted 10-15 overs to bat, he could potentially steer India into an impregnable position during the match.

“My one advice and I don’t know if you’re going to like it or not, but Sky has to bat at three. He just has to bat at three. He is one of the greatest T20 players in the game. And you speak to players like Sir Viv, and he will tell you he used to want to get out there in the middle,” Lara told PTI.

“And I feel that that’s the same thing with SKY. So, get in on it as quickly as possible. He’s not an opener, get him out there and if he can bat for 10-15 overs, you know what’s going to happen.”

“He’s going to put you in an unassailable position if you bat him first, or he’s going to win the game if he’s batting second. And then let everybody sort of position themselves outside of that, but a good structure is important,” he elaborated.

While there has been ongoing debate about Virat Kohli's strike rate, Lara believes players like him are indispensable in the playing eleven .

“You have to have a player like Virat in the playing eleven,” Lara added.

“Suryakumar usually bats at number four for India and Kohli at three. Kohli opening the innings alongside Rohit to accommodate Surya at three is an option which will leave Yashasvi Jaiswal on the bench. Just find a way to make Suryakumar bat at three,” stressed Lara.