Gautam Gambhir, former captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently reflected on his tenure. Gautam Gambhir expressed regret over under-utilising the potential of Suryakumar Yadav, stating it as his biggest disappointment.
During his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gautam Gambhir amassed over 3,000 runs in 108 matches, boasting an impressive average of around 31. His consistency at the crease was evident with 30 half-centuries and 21 player-of-the-match awards. Notably, Gambhir’s captaincy led KKR to playoff appearances in multiple seasons, culminating in two IPL titles under his leadership in 2012 and 2014.
Suryakumar Yadav’s initial stint was with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2014 to 2017. Here, he primarily played as a middle-order batsman. While he wasn’t a liability by any means, his talent wasn’t fully unleashed. Over four seasons, he compiled 608 runs in 54 matches at an average of 22.62 and a strike rate of 129.17.
Suryakumar did manage to hit four fifties during his time with KKR. Suryakumar Yadav often found himself batting at No. 6 or No. 7 for KKR because the team had strong players like Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, and Gautam Gambhir at the top order. Despite this, Gambhir recognized Surya’s team-first attitude, which earned him the role of vice-captain for the franchise in 2015.
Suryakumar Yadav in MI
A return to the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2018 mega-auction marked a turning point in Suryakumar’s IPL career. The Mumbai franchise recognized his talent and pushed him up the batting order. This shift proved to be a masterstroke. As an opener for MI, Suryakumar blossomed. He revelled in the role, showcasing his ability to play attacking cricket from the get-go. This unleashed a new dimension to his batting, with scores flowing freely.
Over the next few seasons, he consistently delivered for MI, scoring over 400 runs on multiple occasions. In 2023, he even reached a personal milestone, scoring his maiden IPL century (103*) against the Gujarat Titans. His exploits with MI not only helped the team win multiple IPL titles (2019 & 2020) but also paved the way for his international debut for India.
What Gautam Gambhir Said
“A leader’s role is to identify the best potential and show it to the world. If there is one regret I have in my seven years of captaincy is that me and as a team never managed to use Suryakumar Yadav to the best of his potential. The reason was down to combinations,” Gautam Gambhir said on SK Match ki Baat.
“You can only play one player at No. 3. And as a leader, you have to think about the other 10 players in the XI as well. He would have been way more effective at No. 3, but was equally good at No. 7,” he stated.
“Whether you played him at No. 6 or 7 or benched him, he was always smiling and always ready to perform for the team. That’s why we appointed him as the vice-captain,” he added.
Suryakumar Yadav is not a one format player- Gautam Gambhir
The former Indian cricketer believes Suryakumar Yadav possesses the talent to excel in various cricket formats. Currently, ‘SKY’ stands as the top T20 batter globally, having accumulated over 700 runs at an impressive average of 48.83 and a striking rate of 155.96. His remarkable performance includes a memorable unbeaten 112* off 51 balls against Sri Lanka.
Yet, in 37 ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav maintains an average of 25.76, and he has appeared in only one Test match, back in February 2023. Despite this, Gautam Gambhir holds a different perspective, believing that the 33-year-old batsman still has much to offer to the Indian team across these formats.
“He should not be satisfied, as Suryakumar Yadav is not a one-format player. He has the ability to excel across all formats, and if you make yourself the one-format player, you would have under-achieved in your career. He can be dangerous in the ODI format as well, and I hope he will not make himself a one-format player and keep working hard,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.