Updated October 5th, 2021 at 18:14 IST
Gavaskar feels Suryakumar & Ishan have 'just relaxed' after debuting for India
Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday commented on Mumbai Indians duo Ishan Kishan-Suryakumar Yadav & opined that both the batsmen have relaxed after getting India's cap
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Team India's former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday commented on 'out of form' Mumbai Indians duo Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav and opined that both the batsmen have relaxed after getting India's cap. IPL defending champions Mumbai Indians are currently placed at the bottom of the points table and one of the reasons behind it is cricketers like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Hardik Pandya are struggling to find their form in the tournament. Kishan, Yadav, and Pandya are part of Team India's T20 World Cup squad.
Sunil Gavaskar on 'out-of-form' Suryakumar Yadav & Ishan Kishan
Speaking on the crumbling form of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in the ongoing IPL 2021 and on the prospects surrounding the upcoming T20 World Cup, Gavaskar said, "I think it looks to me like Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have just relaxed a little bit after getting the India cap. They might not have, but for some of the shots, they are playing it looks like they are trying to play these big shots just because they are India players."
“Sometimes what happens is, you got to give yourself a little bit of time, and you got to get your shot selection right. And I think that is where they have missed this time around, where their shot selection has not been exactly correct, and that’s why they have got out cheaply,” Gavaskar added.
In terms of stats, Suryakumar Yadav has reached double figures only once in the second leg of IPL 2021. His scores for the last five innings are 3,5,8,0 and 33. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan was dropped from the Mumbai Indians squad after three failures. Ishan scored 11, 14, and 9 in his last three innings.
Gavaskar also talked about Hardik Pandya not bowling for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and more importantly India banking upon Pandya as an all-rounder in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
"Hardik Pandya not bowling is a big blow, not just for the Mumbai Indians, but for India as well, because he was taken in the team as an all-rounder. And if you are in the team, batting at No 6 or No 7, and you’re not able to bowl, then it makes it difficult for the captain. He doesn’t get the flexibility and option that is so required for somebody batting at No 6 or 7 like an all-rounder,” Gavaskar further stated.
Update on Hardik Pandya's injury
Hardik has not bowled regularly for India and his IPL side Mumbai Indians since he underwent back surgery in 2019. The Baroda cricketer had suffered a back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup following which he was bowling in patches to keep himself fit for the 2019 World Cup. After the World Cup, Hardik went under the knife in the United Kingdom and started his rehabilitation to gain his strength back. However, before Hardik could recover fully, he sustained another injury on his shoulder in 2020 and was ruled out from bowling in order to gain full recovery. The last time Hardik had bowled in a competitive match was back in July when India was visiting Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series, where he picked 3 wickets in 4 matches.
(Image: @ICC/Twitter/BCCI/PTI)
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Published October 5th, 2021 at 18:14 IST