With yet another World Cup exit, India’s wait for an ICC trophy continues. It has now been nine years since India last laid hands on the ICC title – the Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, Virat Kohli became a global superstar, Jasprit Bumrah made his debut and emerged as the best player in world cricket, MS Dhoni retired, Rohit Sharma became the captain and Rahul Dravid became the coach. Still, years have passed but India’s wait for a World Cup title is only getting longer.
Again and again they came close, only to stumble at the last hurdle. In 2015 and 2019, India reached the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, where they finished as runners-up, securing further semi-final berths in the 2014 and 2016 World T20. The upcoming 2016 World Cup in India could be the last chance for some big and established India’s stars like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan add a World Cup crown to their glittering and legendary career.
As India enters a new era, especially in T20 cricket, with a younger set of players led by Hardik Pandya, the future looks bright. With the presence of Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Umran Malik Arshdeep Singh and others, the Indian team is shaping up well. However, at the same time, the Men in Blue will also have the experience of Bumrah, KL Rahul and skipper Pandya to make a wonderful combination of juniors and seniors in the team. However, former Australian pacer Brett Lee has identified one player who he believes can end India’s drought and ICC events and win them a World Cup in the near future and it is none other than the one and only Suryakumar Yadav who has built the T20 arena. on fire with his blistering bat.
“India didn’t win the T20 World Cup for the Rose of Heaven. Of course I’m talking about Suryakumar Yadav. He’s the new global T20 superstar. What a sensational 12-15 months he’s had on the big stage. He’s shown here on the Australian grass wickets where the ball will slip. His fearlessness, selection his moves are like a chess grandmaster. His execution is awe-inspiring and the smile on his face when he plays it is priceless,” Lee said on his YouTube channel.
“SKY was one of the highlights of the T20 World Cup for me. He continues to bat with the same attitude. Not only will he score big runs, but one day he will win the World Cup for Team India. I enjoy watching him play.” My advice for SKY would be… no advice. Keep doing what you’re doing, don’t change, don’t complicate things, get back to yourself.”
2022 was the year of Suryakumara. Not only has he topped the ICC rankings for T20 batters, he is also this year’s run-getter in the format. Surya may be 32, but he can easily stretch till the next T20 World Cup in 2024 in USA and West Indies, apart from next year’s mega event. Lee believes that strong fundamentals and solid technique are the keys to Suryakumar’s success. Still, Lee believes that coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma will play a huge role in Surya’s mindset and that if all goes well, SKY will win big matches and tournaments in India.
“I like the way he takes impossible shots because his fundamentals are in place. He doesn’t go out and just try to hit a ball that’s not there to hit. He has amazing technique and he’s definitely a player for the future. You can trust Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma for letting him be who he needs to be. THE HEAVEN would rise and that could lead to many more highs for India in the years to come,” he added.
