Enjoying batting has helped add consistency to my game, states Suryakumar Yadav
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Suryakumar Yadav, who has started the 2019 domestic season off with a bang, has revealed that enjoying his batting has helped him add consistency, something that he'd lacked in his game. Having made a name for himself with white-ball, Yadav also expressed his desire to do well in the longer format.
A batsman whose name has been ringing around for a good four to five years now is Suryarkumar Yadav who, over the course of the last few seasons, has built quite the reputation for himself. The Mumbaikar, in the past, has made considerable strides in both the IPL and the domestic circuit, but this season seems to have finally cracked the 'consistency' code, having been impeccable with the bat in every tournament he's played in.
In the three concluded domestic competitions of this season - Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Deodhar Trophy - the right-hander averaged 113, 56 and 42.50, making a strong case for national selection with his performances. Yadav has attributed him enjoying his batting for his new-found consistency and is focused on keeping his good run going for the entirety of the domestic season.
"Not much (has changed) except that I have been trying to enjoy my batting. That has helped me add the missing link in my graph: consistency. Have been focussing on that only," Yadav told Sportstar.
"In 2017-18 and 18-19, I would I say I was very close to being at my best. This year it’s going well, so I would love to continue and earn the tag of a consistent player," he added.
Despite carrying the tag of being 'inconsistent', Yadav revealed that he's not been bothered by it and has continued to back himself in every situation. The Mumbai Ranji skipper also reaffirmed that never once has he doubted his own ability.
"I used to hear this a lot. But I never doubted my skill. I never had that question mark in my mind ki boss kyun nahi kar raha hai, kaise karega, kar sakta hai ki nahi (why isn’t he doing it, how will he do it, whether he will succeed or not). I backed myself in any situation. Whatever opportunity I got - be it T20s, one-day or Ranji Trophy - I just tried to enjoy as much as possible, keep batting, and keep scoring runs. I know it has taken a lot of time but things are falling in place," the 29-year-old explained.
But one aspect of Yadav's game that has considerably withered is his performance with the red-ball. Having once averaged north of 50 in red-day cricket, the now-Mumbai skipper's first-class average has dropped to 43 and last season averaged just 34 in 9 innings in the Ranji Trophy. However, he is well and truly focused on setting things straight in the longer format this season and revealed that he's targetting to average at least 50 in the country's premier 4-day competition.
"I feel I can do a lot better (in the red-ball format). The way I have been batting, I am sure I could have scored a lot more hundreds than I have. This year my goal will be to convert as many starts as possible. I feel I should be averaging at least 50. At the moment, the focus will be on getting big hundreds."
