Suryakumar Yadav’s Next Target: Olympic Gold at LA 2028

 

Suryakumar_Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav (PC:X)

Suryakumar Yadav has made his intentions clear: he is now setting his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games is a momentous occasion, and the elusive gold medal will be fiercely contested. Surya is right to say that it should be the next target, along with a potential hat-trick of titles at the next T20 World Cup.

The question, however, is whether he can achieve it and whether he can remain at the top level until 2028. As a batter, Surya had a modest World Cup. While he played a masterclass against the United States, his performances thereafter were not the best. He did make key contributions against Pakistan and Zimbabwe, but he was also dismissed at critical moments in the matches against the West Indies and England. In the final, when the slog was on, he fell first ball attempting to clear the ropes – something that can happen to any batter.

Can Surya, who now represents India primarily in this one format, rediscover his best form and make telling contributions over the next two years? Playing for India, as we all know, is not an entitlement. Nor will he be retained simply because he is captain. He will have to perform, and do so consistently.

I, for one, believe it is possible. Knowing Surya well, and understanding his passion for hard work, I would back him to do the job. At every stage of his career, he has had to do things the hard way. For the longest time, he struggled to break into the team. There were years when he did not know what more he needed to do to earn a place in the national side. The key is that he never gave up. That resilience defined him then and will define him now – the spirit to fight and the determination to stay the course.

Age is not an issue for him, and fitness is certainly not a concern. Someone capable of playing an innings like the one he produced against the United States clearly possesses the game. What he needs now is a little more consistency going forward. The truth is that batting in the middle overs for India is not easy. Surya, a selfless leader, even allowed Shivam Dube to bat ahead of him in the match against England. By the time Surya came in, the charge was already on. He scored 11 off five balls before being stumped. Such dismissals do not really reflect the class or quality of a batter. Against this backdrop, there is no reason why Surya cannot continue performing at the highest level.

The World Cup win will also ease the pressure on him. I remember him telling me after the Asia Cup final how he could barely sit still as the tension mounted. He paced up and down, aware that the nation would brook no failure. As a World Cup-winning captain, things will be different now. He will have a breather, return to the drawing board and recalibrate.

It is time we back him. He is a fine leader of men and a true devotee of the sport. In short, he is good for Indian cricket.

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