3 reasons why the ODIs vs West Indies could be a make-or-break series for Suryakumar Yadav

For all his exploits in T20 cricket, Suryakumar Yadav is yet to get cracking in ODI cricket. After dominating West Indies in the Test series, the Indian team will now take on the hosts in a three-match ODI series.

This is a World Cup year and hence, the ODI series will been very important for Team India. The selectors have named a strong squad and many of these players will also be in the fray for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

There are a few spots still up for grabs and the selectors will be watching this series very closely. This will be a big series for Suryakumar Yadav and it will be interesting to see how the team uses him.

Here we take a look at three reasons why the ODIs vs West Indies could be a make-or-break series for Suryakumar Yadav:

#3 No dearth of options

KL Rahul is being seen as a wicket-keeper batter option

KL Rahul is making his recovery and he could be India’s wicket-keeper batter in the World Cup. If Suryakumar Yadav does not get going in this series, he could miss out since Rahul will be slotted in at the number five position.

Also, Shreyas Iyer has made a good start to his ODI career, and he will be the preferred option at number 4 or 5. With so many options at their disposal, the Indian selectors will be hoping Suryakumar too puts in performances since he has shown the ability to change the complexion of matches in a matter of 10 overs.

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#2 Favourable conditions

Suryakumar Yadav will get favourable conditions in West Indies

The conditions on offer in West Indies are quite similar to what India will face at home. As such, it becomes hugely important for Suryakumar to hit his stride and get scores. He endured a torrid time against Australia, as he became the sixth India batter to bag three consecutive ducks in men’s international cricket.

The selectors have kept their faith, but the rope is fairly short. He cannot afford any more low scores as there are other options and proven players waiting to walk in and get the middle order slot.

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#1 A better finisher?

Suryakumar Yadav can be a designated finisher for India

Much like what Australia have done with Glenn Maxwell, India can do with Suryakumar. The best possible approach for India's team management is to define the specific situations in which Suryakumar will be used.

They could look at the game situation and the number of balls remaining before sending him in. With his wide range of strokes, he can be used as an aggressor who walks out and takes the attack from ball 1.

His form and trajectory will only go up after the lows he encountered against Australia. India have been looking at a reliable finisher in ODI cricket for a while and this is the role that Surykumar can be given if the need be. There is no reason why he cannot crack the ODI code, and this series against West Indies could be the one where he finally gets going.