Not Rinku Singh Or Yashasvi Jaiswal: Suryakumar Yadav Labels 22-Year-Old Star As India's 'X-Factor'

Suryakumar Yadav lavished praise on the 22-year-old star Indian cricketer Photo : AP

KEY HIGHLIGHTS Suryakumar Yadav lavished praise on the India star

Suryakumar has been named India's T20I captain

India will face Sri Lanka in three T20Is

Ahead of his first match as India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav lavished praise on a young star in the Indian team and labeled him as an x-factor of the Men in Blue. The Men in Blue will face Sri Lanka in the first T20I of a three-match series on Saturday (July 27) at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.

While Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as Rohit Sharma's succcessor instead of Hardik Pandya took all the limelight, one selection that did raise eyebrows was the inclusion of Riyan Parag in both the ODI and T20I squads. Parag made his debut in the Zimbabwe series but failed to make a mark despite playing three games but still found a place in the squad despite Abhishek Sharam and Ruturaj Gaikwad missing out, who had impressive performances. Parag is yet to make his ODI debut.

Asked about Parag, Suryakumar lavished praise on him and downplayed the trolling he has to face. The 33-year-old stated that the all-rounder is an x-factor for the team.

"Trolling is a part in all kinds of sports, and it's important how a sportsmen deal with it. I have always rated him (Riyan Parag) highly. I said before the IPL when I met him at NCA that he has that X-factor. He needs to keep other things aside and focus on that. I think he has realised that and he is a completely different player now. The way he has performed in domestic cricket over the last two years, it sets a great base. I am very happy he is here with the team," said Suryakumar Yadav in the pre-match press conference.

Parag is unlikely to make the playing XI for the first T20I but could get a chance as the series starts. An ODI debut could be in the offering with Hardik Pandya missing from the squad and Parag could take the batting all-rounder's spot.

Click here to read article