‘Phir na Ducks ki hattrick kardein’ – Fans react as Rahul Dravid confirms backing Suryakumar Yadav ahead of 1st ODI vs Australia

On 22 September, India’s three-match ODI series at home against Australia will begin in Mohali. However, most of the World Cup-bound players are rested for the first two matches but Suryakumar Yadav is a part of all three matches. The number one-ranked T20I batter is in the ODI World Cup squad but his selection raised eyebrows of many fans ahead of players like Sanju Samson, who have a good record in the 50-over format.

Suryakumar has played only 27 ODIs and in 25 innings, has scored 537 runs, including only two fifties. Even, in the last home ODI series against the Aussies, he registered an unwanted record to his name. He became the first Indian batter to register three consecutive golden ducks in ODIs. But, now, ahead of the first game, Team India head coach, Rahul Dravid attended a press conference and vowed to back the star batter in these upcoming matches.

Rahul Dravid said: “We completely back Suryakumar Yadav, we believe he will turn it around in ODI, will be getting opportunity in the first 2 ODI”. However, this was not the first time when Dravid backed Suryakumar despite his poor numbers in the ODI format. In the earlier ODI series in West Indies, he scored just 78 runs in three matches. 

Suryakumar Yadav has an average of 24.40 in ODIs

During that series, after the second match, while talking to the reporters, Dravid said: “Look, Surya is a really good player, there’s no doubt about it. His performances have shown that, especially in T20 cricket, even in domestic white-ball cricket. He has some very good performances. Unfortunately, he’d be the first one to admit his ODI numbers aren’t up to his high standards he’s set in T20s. But he’s also learning about one-day cricket.”

“So I think he’s also learning, trying to figure out how to bat in those middle overs. He’s a talent, he’s a really good player, we want to give him as many opportunities as we can. Upto him now to take those opportunities and use them. But yeah, in the kind of set-up we are, we like to give people as many chances we possibly can,” he added.

Here is how fans have reacted:

https://twitter.com/OxygenKohli18/status/1704819701325636000