“Unenviable World Record”: Shashi Tharoor Comments On ‘Poor’ Suryakumar Yadav’s 3 Ducks, Questions Sanju Samson’s Exclusion

Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s No. 1 T20I batter, on Wednesday was out for his third duck in three successive ODIs against Australia in Chennai. The explosive Yadav is known as a 360-degree player for his ability to play all around the ground in the shortest white-ball format but he is yet to establish himself in the 50-over game. Yadav was bowled first ball by Ashton Agar in the 36th over of India’s chase in the final ODI. That left the hosts reeling at 185-6 with a target of 270 to win the match in Chennai.

The 32-year-old was leg-before to Mitchell Starc in the first and second matches of the series — on both occasions also on the first delivery of his innings.

India skipper Rohit Sharma has backed Yadav as an important prospect for the ODI World Cup in India later this year.

However, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, in a tweet, expressed his surprise at the repeated exclusion of Sanju Samson from the ODI side despite Yadav’s failures.

“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 wrote.

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 is the sixth Indian batter to register three consecutive ducks in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar (1994), Anil Kumble (1996), Zaheer Khan (2003-04), Ishant Sharma (2010-11), Jasprit Bumrah (2017-2019) are others.

The Indian batting unit once again choked under relentless pressure from the Australian spinners as the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 with a comfortable 21-run victory, in Chennai on Wednesday. Chasing a stiff target of 270 on a tricky pitch, India were all out for 248 in 49.1 overs as Australia came back in the series after losing the first ODI by five wickets.

With AFP inputs