Suryakumar should be India's No. 4 ahead of Shreyas, Samson, says Scott Styris

Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris has advised India to go with Suryakumar Yadav as their No. 4 ahead of Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson. The former all-rounder went on to say that opponents would do a "little dance" if they face a Team India without Suryakumar in it.

The 31-year-old Suryakumar has a fine record in the T20Is, having scored 537 runs in 19 games at an average of 38.35 and strike rate of 177.22. He has scored a century and four fifties in the shortest format. He also averages 44.28 in the ODIs, having played 10 ODIs. While he is yet to make his Test debut, the Mumbai batsman has accumulated over 5,000 runs in 77 First-Class games at an average of 44.01.

"There are very few people on this planet who are bigger fans of SKY than I am, I can tell you that right now. If he is not in that side, then every other side around the world is just doing a little dance," Styris said while speaking on SPORTS18's show 'SPORTS OVER THE TOP'.

"It was pleasing for me when everyone said that he should be one of the first guys picked and I can understand why. I think he has got real game-winning potential. That's what you are after, you want players who can win matches on their own.

"It's the other names around, you have got Rohit, KL Rahul and Kohli - so the front three are taken. So there is a real squeeze where he fits in. I think he should be the No. 4 but he is up against the likes of Shreyas Iyer and the Sanju Samsons," added Styris.

Suryakumar has been a key part of Mumbai Indians (MI) as he has scored 2,036 runs at an average of 33.37 in 69 games for the five-time champions.

"It's about form and it's about making sure that you are the guy that has the match-winning performances under your belt. No pressure situations get to him, that is true. He plays for Mumbai, and therefore he is used to dealing with big pressure in big games in front of big crowds and that's what I like about him," Styris added further.

In the recently concluded tour of England, Suryakumar was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series, where he scored 171 runs in three games at an average of 57 and an incredible strike rate of 201.18. He did not have the best of the games in the ODIs as he manages just 43 runs in two innings.

https://twitter.com/surya_14kumar/status/1546207585254002688

Suryakumar, who made his international debut just last year, is a part of India's both ODI and T20I squad ahead of the limited-overs series against West Indies. The first ODI is set to be played on Friday (July 22) at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.