‘Suryakumar should have been in the team…’ Veterans angry over Surya not getting a chance in the Champions Trophy

Last updated:January 19, 2025, 3:24 pm IST

Suresh Raina is not happy with Suryakumar Yadav being dropped from India’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. he/she has said that due to the presence of Surya, there is no problem of any kind in the middle order.

New Delhi. Former Indian batsman Suresh Raina has expressed surprise at the exclusion of Suryakumar Yadav from India’s Champions Trophy 2025 team. Surya is the captain of India’s T20 team, but he/she has not been included in India’s 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series against England and the ICC Champions Trophy. According to Raina, India will miss Surya in Dubai. The team led by Rohit Sharma will play all its matches in Dubai.

Suresh Raina said. “India looks a strong team. I have full confidence that Rohit will lead India to victory. But I am surprised to not see Surya in the team. India will miss that X-factor. Especially in the middle order. We saw Surya’s performance in the 2023 World Cup. he/she was scoring runs all over the field, hence he/she is called Mr. 360. he/she plays brilliant sweep shots and is a game-changer. he/she has the ability to chase 9-plus run rates against top teams. he/she should have been in the team.”

Suresh Raina was part of the MS Dhoni-led team that won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Raina said, “India needed a player who could dominate the opposition team in the middle overs. The dimensions of Dubai’s grounds are unique. You have smaller areas on the front and larger areas on the cover side. Surya could have used these circumstances in the best possible way,”

Raina further said, “In his/her absence, there will be a lot of responsibility on the top three batsmen, who are also not in form. In the middle overs, will India go with KL Rahul or send Rishabh up? Or will Shubman Gill open with Rohit? A lot still needs to be thought about. If Suryakumar had been in the team, it could have been better.