“There is no IPL for one-dayers” - Rahul Dravid on Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles in ODI format

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid admitted that Suryakumar Yadav’s ODI performances have not been up to the mark. He went on to add that the latter is still in a learning phase as far as his ODI game is concerned since the Mumbai batter hasn’t played a lot of competitive 50-over cricket.

Suryakumar, who made his ODI debut in July 2021, has represented India in 25 matches in the format, scoring 476 runs at an extremely poor average of 23.80. He hasn’t scored an ODI half-century in 17 innings. The think tank backed the right-handed batter for the first two ODIs in West Indies, but he has continued to disappoint, registering scores of 19 and 24.

Reflecting on the batter’s consistent failures, after India’s six-wicket loss in Barbados, Dravid commented:

"Surya is a really good player, there is no doubt about that. He has shown that. Especially in T20 cricket, in domestic cricket, in white-ball cricket. He has some very good performances. He would be the first one to admit that his ODI numbers haven't been up to the standards or the standards that he has set in T20. He's also probably learning ODIs. He has played a lot of competitive T20 cricket through the IPL before he made his debut for India. In One-dayers he hasn't played as much competitive cricket, because there is no IPL for one-dayers.

"He's also learning about his game, and learning to bat in the middle overs. He is a talent and we want to give him as many opportunities as we can. It is really up to him now to take those opportunities and use those opportunities. In the kind of setup we are, we give people as many chances as we possibly can," Dravid added in defense of the 32-year-old.

Before the West Indies tour, Suryakumar had registered three consecutive golden ducks against Australia at home in the three-match ODI series.

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“He's taking the opportunities when given a chance” - Dravid on Ishan Kishan

While Suryakumar has failed to grab his chances, keeper-batter Ishan Kishan has impressed. After notching up his maiden half-century in the second Test, the left-hander has crossed fifty in both the ODIs.

Praising Kishan, Dravid said:

"Ishan has done really well, this is his third fifty in a row, counting the Test match as well. He's taking the opportunities when given a chance. That's all that we ask from young players. We want to give them as many chances as we possibly can. We can't give chances to everyone all the time. There are other talented guys as well. We try as much as we can.”

Despite Kishan’s run-a-ball 55, India went down to West Indies as they collapsed to 181 all-out. The deciding ODI will be played in Trinidad on August 1.