Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody expressed his reservations about the inclusion of Suryakumar Yadav in Team India’s 15-member World Cup 2023 squad, which was unveiled on Tuesday, September 5.
Aside from the inclusion of KL Rahul on fitness grounds, the squad selection largely held no major surprises, as it predominantly featured players from the Asia Cup squad. However, the decision to include Suryakumar Yadav over other middle-order contenders like Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma has sparked debate, particularly due to Yadav’s underwhelming ODI statistics.
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo regarding the Indian World Cup squad, Tom Moody suggested that the team management should have considered the left-handed option provided by Tilak Varma instead.
“He is fortunate to have made it into that squad, especially when you look at someone like Tilak Varma, who offers a left-handed specialist in the middle order and can also provide some part-time spin,” Moody remarked. “This selection would have given them added flexibility, particularly in discussions about Ishan Kishan. It doesn’t mean both of them couldn’t feature in the same lineup, but it would have provided the kind of versatility that Rohit Sharma frequently emphasizes in press conferences,” he added.
While Tilak Varma has yet to make his ODI debut for India, his impressive performance in his inaugural T20I series in the West Indies, where he averaged 57.66 with a strike rate of 140.65 in five matches, underlined his potential. Furthermore, selecting the 20-year-old would have added a second left-handed batting option in the middle order, complementing Ishan Kishan’s capabilities.