'Averaging 66 In ODIs...What Does He Need To Do?': Shashi Tharoor Jumps Into Surya Kumar Yadav Vs Sanju Samson Debate

With Australia handing over its first home series ODI defeat to India in the last four years, the swords are drawn on the social media battlefield with cricket fans expressing their anger over team India's squad and the exclusion of certain players. While cricket fans questioned the inclusion of Surya Kumar Yadav despite poor form, some wondered why Sanju Samson is not being given frequent opportunities. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor too waded into the debate.

"Now that poor Surya Kumar Yadav has set an unenviable world record with his three golden ducks in a row, is it unreasonable to ask why Sanju Samson, averaging 66 in ODIs despite batting at an unfamiliar position for him at 6, wasn't in the squad? What does he need to do?" asked Tharoor. 

Now that poor @surya_14kumar has set an unenviable world record w/ his three golden ducks in a row, is it unreasonable to ask why @IamSanjuSamson, averaging averaging 66 in ODIs despite batting at an unfamiliar position for him at 6, wasn't in the squad? What does he need to do? — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 23, 2023

Suryakumar Yadav's hat-trick of golden ducks - first-ball dismissals - has already led to scathing criticism. Surya got a delivery each in the first two ODIs from Mitchell Starc that got him out. The last ODI in Chennai saw Suryakumar getting clean bold while playing on the back foot. 

While Surya's consistent failures in the ODIs have made cricket fans furious, the batter has got full support from the team management. Captain Rohit Sharma hinted that the Indian team management is not looking too much into his failures in the ODI series. "He (Suryakumar) played only three balls in the series. I don't know how much you can look into it. He got three good balls," Rohit said after India lost the third and final ODI by 21 runs to concede the series 1-2 to Australia.

Suryakumar has so far featured in 23 ODIs after his debut in July 2021, scoring 433 runs at a below-par average of 24.05. Rohit said Suryakumar was initially slotted to bat at number 5 but the team management held him back to face the Australian attack in the last 15-20 overs. "He plays spin really well which is why we wanted to hold him back and give him the last 15-20 overs where he could play his game. But, unfortunately, he could only play three balls in the series. That can happen to anyone. The potential, the quality, is always there. He is just going through that (lean) phase right now," said Sharma. (With agency inputs)