‘Why are you not flicking like you do in IPL’ – Suryakumar Yadav reveals banter with Kieron Pollard in 1st ODI

Suryakumar Yadav played a vital knock for the Indian side in the 1st ODI match against the West Indies. The right-hander struck an unbeaten 34 off 36 deliveries, as the Indian side beat the ‘Men in Maroon’ with 6 wickets in the kitty.

And, Yadav has now opened up on what West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard told him when he walked out to bat. Pollard and Yadav are teammates in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and play for the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise.

And, Pollard told Yadav that the mid-wicket region was vacant and asked him why he was not flicking the ball like he does when he plays the IPL. Yadav also added that he wanted to stay till the end and finish the job for his side.

“Pollard told me a few things. ‘Midwicket was open, why are you not flicking like you do in IPL’ but it was different here… I wanted to stay there till the end,” said Suryakumar Yadav as quoted by NDTV.

The track became slightly easier during the run chase: Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav put on a crucial partnership of 62 runs with Deepak Hooda and helped India cross the finish line without any hiccups. And, Yadav revealed that he did not tell anything to Hooda regarding how to bat as Hooda is hugely experienced in domestic cricket. Yadav concluded by stating that the pitch became slightly easier during the Indian innings.

“I think things were really clear. I didn’t tell him [Hooda] anything. He has played domestic cricket for last seven years. It was important for him to stay till the end, and his confidence was spot on. I really liked it. I feel the track was almost the same as it was in the afternoon. But due to dew, it became slightly easier in the chase,” concluded Suryakumar Yadav.

The 2nd ODI of the three-match series will be played on 9th February 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.