"There is disappointment there" - Mohammad Kaif says Suryakumar Yadav is yet to take off in ODIs

Mohammad Kaif feels Suryakumar Yadav would be disappointed with his ODI career thus far and that India's Mr 360 needs to work on his game.

Suryakumar scored 31 runs off 26 deliveries in the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18. The Men in Blue posted a mammoth total of 349/8 on the back of Shubman Gill's double century and eventually won the game by 12 runs.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Kaif reckoned Suryakumar Yadav would be unhappy about his inability to carry his T20I form into ODIs, saying:

"He is in extremely good form in T20s, but is yet to take off in ODIs. He has hit only two fifties and it has been 16-17 innings. So there is disappointment there. He himself knows that."

The former Indian batter highlighted that the two limited-overs forms of the game require slightly different skills, elaborating:

"He is a fantastic player and is in good form as well but he has to work. I have expectations from him but every format is different. Tests, ODIs and T20Is are all different. If someone says ODIs and T20Is are similar, it's not the case. This is a very long game, you have time. Suryakumar Yadav has to work there."

Suryakumar has smashed 1578 runs at an excellent average of 46.41 and an outstanding strike rate of 180.34 in 45 T20Is. On the flip side, he has aggregated 419 runs in 18 ODIs at an underwhelming average of 29.92.

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"He has a weakness there" - Mohammad Kaif on Suryakumar Yadav's dismissal in 1st ODI vs NZ

Suryakumar Yadav was caught at cover while trying to play on the up. [P/C: BCCI]

Speaking about Suryakumar's dismissal in the first ODI, Kaif opined that the Mumbai batter has a weakness against deliveries pitched outside the off-stump, explaining:

"He has a weakness there, the line to which he got out. He gets stuck when the ball pitches slightly outside off-stump. His bat always comes at an angle. The ball didn't have pace, if it had pace he might have played it through point or cover."

The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by urging the Mumbai Indians (MI) player to improve on that front as he won't be fed deliveries in his strong areas, stating:

"I feel he has to work when the ball is delivered close to the off-stump. He plays very well on the leg side but good bowlers will not bowl to him there. They are going to keep the ball outside the off-stump only. Even if they have to concede runs, they will do it through cover, which is his weakness."

Suryakumar looked comfortable in the middle and struck four fours during his 31-run knock. He chipped a length ball from Daryl Mitchell straight to Mitchell Santner at cover to end his 65-run fourth-wicket partnership with Gill.