Suryakumar Yadav may have built his reputation as one of India’s most explosive T20I batters, but he admits that his success in the shortest format hasn’t translated into the 50-over game. The Indian T20I captain, who has been struggling to find a place in the ODIs, spoke candidly about his challenges and revealed that he hopes to seek advice from South African legend AB de Villiers on how to master both formats. Speaking on journalist Vimal Kumar’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar said he often tried to approach ODIs with the same mindset as T20 cricket, something he now realises might not have worked in his favour. “If I meet him soon, I want to ask AB how he managed to balance T20Is and ODIs. I thought ODIs could be played like T20Is, but clearly, I was wrong,” he said.
Calling out to de Villiers directly, Surya added, “AB, if you’re listening, please get in touch soon! I’ve got three or four crucial years ahead and I’m eager to make a mark in ODI cricket. Please help me — I couldn’t find that balance between the two formats.” The 35-year-old right-hander has so far played 35 ODI innings, scoring 773 runs at an average of 25.76. Meanwhile, de Villiers, one of the game’s greats, accumulated 9,577 runs from 228 ODIs for South Africa. Suryakumar also praised his teammates Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma after their match-winning partnership in the third T20 against Australia. Both remained unbeaten, with Sundar scoring 49* and Jitesh contributing 22*, helping India secure a five-wicket win. “They had been working really hard and were just waiting for their moment. Washi showed great adaptability, Jitesh played sensibly, and Arshdeep was fantastic. It felt like the perfect team combination tonight,” Surya said.
