Suryakumar Yadav should be in the reckoning for Test matches – Gautam Gambhir

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has backed Suryakumar Yadav to get his chance in the Test team. Yadav has been in prolific form in the shortest format of the game and he has ticked the right boxes for the team.

The right-hander from Mumbai was not only India’s best batter in the T20I format in 2022 but also the World’s best batsman as he climbed to the top of the ICC T20I rankings. The 32-year-old scored 1164 runs in 31 matches of 2022 at an average of 46.56 and a blistering strike rate of 187.43. Thus, he finished as the leading run-getter of the year.

SKY scored two T20I centuries in the year as he batted out of this world. The talisman was able to hit the ground running on most occasions and provided an impetus to Indian innings whenever he came out to bat.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has scored 5549 runs in 79 first-class matches at an average of 44.75. Yadav has amassed 2644 runs in 103 IPL matches at an average of 30.05 and a strike rate of 136.78. Gambhir added SKY is a product of the IPL as he has grown in stature over the years.

“He is actually a product of the IPL. His IPL numbers are incredible if you compare them to his numbers in first-class cricket. But it’s always good when people like Suryakumar Yadav, who has gone through the grind in first-class cricket, have grabbed whatever opportunities they have got with both hands,” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.

“I think Surya is one guy who has shown that you can actually be a T20 format player and from T20 you can go on to play one-day cricket and then probably be in the reckoning for the Test matches as well,” added the former India opener.

Yadav has scored 1408 runs in 42 T20I matches at an average of 44 and a blistering strike rate of 180.98. The right-hander will be in action in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with the first game to be played in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old from Mumbai has taken T20I cricket like fish to water and he would want to do the same in the other two formats.