Yadav, Pandya good enough to play T20 World Cup, Tendulkar says

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Updated: March 20, 2021
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SILIGURI, India – Batting great Sachin Tendulkar is convinced Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are good enough to be in the India squad when the nation hosts the Twenty20 World Cup later this year.

Both the top-order batsmen made their India debut in the ongoing T20 series against England, with Kishan smashing an incendiary fifty in his first match.

Yadav, who plays with Kishan for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, had to wait until his second match to get a bat but also produced a match-winning half-century in Ahmedabad.

“There is no question how talented both the players are,” Tendulkar told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“It eventually boils down to selection and the selection committee. But I can say that having played in IPL against all the leading foreign players, they are ready to play (in the Twenty20 World Cup).”

As the Mumbai Indians mentor, Tendulkar had a ringside view of the duo in the IPL and was not surprised how they performed against the top-ranked England team.

“They are very good players. I have spent a lot of time with Surya, he looked fantastic,” Tendulkar added.

“Before the last IPL season, when Ishan was practising in the nets, there were a number of things which one could see. He was trying to get his bat swing (right), and be mentally stable. From there on, how he has progressed is remarkable.”

Tendulkar pointed out that both batsmen had faced Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes in the IPL and it showed in the assurance with which Yadav handled the England bowlers on Thursday.

Yadav’s fearless batting was best illustrated when he nonchalantly pulled Archer for a six from the first ball he faced in international cricket.

“What IPL has done is it has given exposure to players to play against the leading players in the world,” Tendulkar said.

Source: Reuters