India has an abundance of cricketing talent, as every season, new talents emerge to display their worth for the game. One of the rising talents, who is being hailed as a top prospect for India, is Suryakumar Yadav.
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Suryakumar is coming off a thunderous season in the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). Playing for Mumbai Indians (MI), he finished as their third-highest run-scorer, scripting 480 runs in 15 innings at an average of 40.00, including four half-centuries.
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Nonetheless, his performance was not enough to impress the selectors, as he was snubbed for the upcoming tour of Australia, starting Friday. While the move has been dealt with severe criticisms from fans and critics, former Windies legend, too, feels that it was harsh on the rookie.
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"I see no reason why, looking at the (Indian) squad, he can't be a part of it. Yeah, definitely. He is a class player. I don't just look at players that score runs, I look at their technique, capabilities under pressure, positions that they are batting and for me. Suryakumar Yadav has done such a wonderful job for Mumbai," said Lara to Star Sports.
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"He comes to bat on the back of Rohit Sharma, and Quinton de Kock and every time, they are under pressure, he comes in at No. 3. Just remember, other than the openers, the No. 3 batsman in any cricket team is normally your best player, your most reliable player. And, for me, he (Surya) has been that for Mumbai Indians," Lara concluded.
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The 30-year-old has impressive domestic stats, scoring 5,326 First-Class runs, along with 2,447 runs in List-A and 3,492 in T20s, at a decent average of 44.01, 35.46 and 32.33, respectively. In the IPL, he has scored 2,024 runs in 86 innings at an average of 30.2, including 11 half-centuries.
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