Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles in the ODI series against Australia continued with two consecutive golden ducks in the first two games of the series. The 32-year-old was dismissed in a similar fashion in both outings, trapped leg before wicket by Australia’s pace spearhead, Mitchell Starc. With questions raised over his place in the squad, skipper Rohit Sharma has broken his silence and defended the batter, stating that he needs more time to prove himself.

#SuryakumarYadav was dismissed for a golden duck for two consecutive innings _

Starc Lbw Surya- 0(1) in 1st ODI.

Starc Lbw Surya – 0(1) in 2nd ODI.#INDvsAUS #Vizag #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/3oDQmUNHXk
— Pravin Patil (@BooksAndCricket) March 19, 2023

“We don’t know about (Shreyas) Iyer’s return. At this time there is a spot available so we have to play him (Suryakumar). He has obviously shown a lot of potential with white ball and I have said it many times before (that) guys with potential will be given some run,” said Rohit in the post-match press conference after India’s humilating 10-wicket defeat against Australia at Vizag.

“Of course, he knows that he needs to do while in a slightly longer format of the game as well. I think things are there in his mind as well. Like I said, guys with potential will have enough run where you know they should not feel that. Okay, You know I wasn’t given enough chances in that particular slot,” the Indian captain added.

While the World No.1 T20I batter’s ODI record is under scrutiny, Rohit has claimed that Suryakumar is aware of the need to perform in the longer formats of the game. The skipper emphasized that the batter has not had a long run in the side and has only played due to injuries. Rohit has stated that the team management is not looking to replace Suryakumar in the squad at the moment, and the batter will have a longer rope before his ODI performances are judged. However, there are doubts over his place in the squad with Shreyas Iyer missing due to injury and Sanju Samson not being selected despite his excellent record in the format.

“Yes he got out in the last two games and the series before that as well, but he needs that consistent run, like back-to-back games, 7-8 or 10 games like that so that, you know, he feels more comfortable. Right now, he has got in the place when someone’s been injured or someone’s not available. As management we can look into the performance when you give that consistent run and then you feel that okay, the runs are not coming and (he’s) not looking comfortable. Then, we will start thinking about it. Right now, we have not gone that route,” Rohit added.

Despite Suryakumar’s poor run in the series, he is unlikely to be dropped for the series decider against Australia on March 22 at Chennai. This game will be India’s last international match before the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In summary, Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles in the ODI series have continued, and questions have been raised over his place in the squad. However, Rohit Sharma has defended the batter, stating that he needs more time to prove himself in the format, and he is unlikely to be dropped for the series decider against Australia.