Suryakumar Yadav deserves a spot in Indian team: Laxman

India's veteran batsman VVS Laxman seemed highly impressed with the grit and determination of top-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav as he backed Surya to find a place in India's playing XI in the five-match T20I series against England, starting from March 12 at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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Mumbai Indians' swashbuckling batsman earned his maiden call-up for the Indian team for the T20I series after showing his consistency and talent in the domestic circuit for years. In the recent years, Yadav has emerged as backbone of Mumbai's batting line-up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has also great numbers to his name in other domestic tournaments.

Yadav was knocking on the doors of Indian team for quite some time and he finally got the result of his patience. Speaking about the 30-year-old, VVS Laxman reckoned that Yadav is no less than a role model for youngsters as he remained positive and didn't lose hope after not getting selected for the Indian team.

The veteran further added that Surya is a talented lad who has scored runs for his team in both IPL and domestic circuit and thus deserves a chance to represent his talent on the big stage. Suryakumar is in exemplary form in the ongoing domestic season too. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has scored 2 fifties and one century in five games so far.

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“He (Surya) deserves it, I think he is a great role model for youngsters, especially in India; because they lose patience very quickly – because all positive run getters in first class cricket expect to get into the Indian team – but it is difficult,” Laxman told Star Sports.

“There is so much of quality, so much of talent and so much of competition, but what did Suryakumar do? – he goes back to first class cricket, scores runs for Mumbai, whenever he gets an opportunity for Mumbai Indians – he is a positive run getter, plays in tough situations and wins the match and that’s what you expect from a player.

“Ultimately there is a saying which my coach taught me early on, ‘If the selectors are not opening the door, break open the door!’, the only way you can do that is by your performance – we’re not sure if he will get to play in the playing XI but he definitely deserves a spot in the squad of that T20 Indian team,” he signed off.