India, Mar 07 : Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has defended Suryakumar Yadav from harsh criticism while also pointing out that the Indian captain has not produced many big performances against top international sides.
Suryakumar started the tournament strongly with a powerful 84 off 49 balls against the United States national cricket team. However, his form has cooled since then, though he has still played several useful cameos during the competition.
Useful contributions despite criticism
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said public opinion about players has become extremely sharp in recent times, leading to deeper scrutiny of every performance.
He highlighted that Suryakumar had already played a crucial role in India’s opening match by rescuing the team from a difficult position of 77 for 6 and guiding them to a competitive total.
Chopra also praised his steady 32-run innings against the Pakistan national cricket team, noting that the knock was valuable because it helped India complete their full quota of overs in a challenging situation.
Record against stronger teams under focus
Despite acknowledging those contributions, Chopra said the numbers show that Suryakumar has not scored heavily against stronger opposition.
According to the former batter, this is the fifth World Cup campaign for the Mumbai-born cricketer, but he has managed only two half-centuries against teams ranked in the top ten. Those innings came against South Africa national cricket team in Perth and Afghanistan national cricket team in the previous World Cup.
Hopes for big knock in upcoming matches
Chopra said he hopes the Indian skipper can produce a decisive innings in the upcoming matches. He also mentioned that Suryakumar has shown flexibility by adjusting his batting position depending on match situations.
With spinners like Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra likely to play key roles for opponents, Chopra suggested that India may send power hitters such as Shivam Dube ahead in the batting order to counter spin.
He added that while a massive score may not be necessary every time, a solid match-defining knock from Suryakumar would strengthen India’s chances in crucial games.