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Without Abhishek Sharma, India’s top-order strike rate dips from 147.79 to 124.20 – one of weakest Top 4 in the world
This year, Suryakumar has scored 213 runs at a strike rate of 125.29 and average of 14.20. (AP Photo)
It is a practice the current India head coach Gautam Gambhir despises, but for the swelling run crisis among the top-order faculty, his team had to turn to their newfound ‘superstar’ to allay fears before the penultimate T20I against South Africa in Lucknow.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy, Shubman Gill, are in a diabolical rut. The senior has not strummed his blade with sustained quality for nearly the entire year. Meanwhile, the under-fire vice-captain, has not lasted long enough to relay the niceties of his IPL template and provide context to India’s sudden anchor-accumulator fallback at the top.
Even a tepid 118-run chase up in Dharamsala could not help the leadership group catch a break. Instead, it was up to the format’s new batting maverick, Abhishek Sharma, to repose faith in Suryakumar and Gill’s match-winning abilities before the T20 World Cup defence begins in Mumbai, in 50 days.
“Trust me, Suryakumar and Shubman will win matches for India in the World Cup, and in the matches before that as well.
