Suryakumar Yadav promises same old approach against 'completely different challenge' in Sri Lanka

With the well-established batsmen of the Indian white-ball sides being in England for the Test series, the upcoming series against Sri Lanka offers a near-perfect opportunity for players such as Suryakumar Yadav to press forward their claims in the side. 

Yadav has been a prolific run-getter in the Indian domestic cricket but he rose through the ranks on the back of the bulk of runs for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. 

He has formed a formidable batting lineup of Mumbai that never relents attacking the opposition bowler and so far Yadav has not shied away from unleashing the same pattern in his short international career.

Now, as Yadav is eyeing a probably long stint with the Indian side, he is all but ready to do what he has been doing best with the bat. He has said that the approach of his batting will be very similar to what it has been and it won’t be dependent on his batting position against Sri Lanka.

“I think I have been doing the same thing that I have been doing for my franchise back in the IPL. Even in my debut series, I did not do anything different. I have been enjoying that (attacking) role really well in whatever position they tell me to bat. I will stay the same. I will just go out there and express myself like I always do. I enjoy doing that,” Yadav said from Colombo, where the India side is putting up for the series.

He started his T20 career with a characteristic six off Jofra Archer and stamped his authority on the game with crisp timing and immaculate placements. He hit a berserk fifty against England on debut and followed with another substantive score to help India clinch the series. 

However, he said that the series against Sri Lanka will be a different proposition and he will look forward to starting from scratch. He conceded the pressure of expectations he brings with himself but expressed confidence in using it to his own and India’s good effect.

"I think that was a completely different challenge. Like for a batter, every time you go in or play a different game, you start from scratch. So this also I've to start from zero. This is a different series, but the challenge remains the same - I've to go out and perform the same way I did. So the pressure will be there because if there's no pressure, there's no fun. It'll be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it,” Yadav added.

Yadav also downplayed the inexperience in the India squad in the backdrop of comments made by Sri Lanka’s world-cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, who had called the Shikhar Dhawan-led side a ‘second-string’ Indian team. Yadav said that the team is not bothered about outside opinion and that their goal from the series is to take away positives and play series with the right spirit.

"Not really [thinking about it]," Suryakumar said. "Everyone is completely focused. The way the practice sessions are going, the way the game went yesterday, it's going completely fine and we're really excited about the challenge. We're not thinking about that. We're just here to have some fun, enjoy this series completely and take a lot of positives from here,” Yadav added.

The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will commence on July 13 in Colombo and the rest of other ODIs and a subsequent T20 series too will be played in Colombo only.