Suryakumar Yadav compares Kuldeep Yadav to iconic movie character during 2nd ODI vs West Indies

Star India batter Suryakumar Yadav is being criticised by fans and former players for his poor form in one-day cricket. Fans and former players are questioning his place in the starting XI. However, a new controversy has erupted, which might trouble Suryakumar. During the 29th over of the West Indies chase in Barbados, Suryakumar was caught on the stump mic comparing Kuldeep with a movie character.

Suryakumar Yadav was referencing a character from the iconic Bollywood movie “Lagaan,” who happened to be a spin bowler. This comment has stirred controversy and disapproval among fans, putting added pressure on Suryakumar.

Notably, fans are eagerly waiting for Suryakumar to perform at his best and maintain the stellar reputation he has earned in the shorter formats of the game. Given the opportunity to fill the vacant No. 4 spot in the batting order due to Shreyas Iyer’s injury, Suryakumar struggled to meet the high standards he had previously set for himself, in contrast to his impressive performances in T20 matches.

“He is learning ODIs” – Coach Rahul Dravid about Suryakumar Yadav

Despite his poor performance in the one-day internationals, India coach Rahul Dravid backs Suryakumar Yadav. He said that Suryakumar is still learning the ODI format as there is no IPL for it. “I think Surya is a really good player; there’s no doubt about it,” Dravid said. “His performances have shown that, especially in T20 cricket and even in domestic white-ball cricket, he has some very good performances”, he continued.

“Even he (Suryakumar) would be the first one to admit that his ODI numbers probably haven’t been up to the high standards that he has set in T20. He’s probably learning one-day cricket. He played a lot of IPL and a lot of competitive T20 cricket before his India debut, but in terms of one-day cricket, he probably hasn’t played that much; there’s no IPL in one-day cricket. So he’s learning and figuring out how to bat through those middle overs,” Dravid said in the post-match presser.