“Hopefully this is where I will crack ODI code”: Suryakumar Yadav on Asia Cup preparations

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 28 (ANI): India's number-one ranked T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav on Monday expressed optimism that the upcoming Asia Cup will serve as a tournament where he finally manages to crack the ODI code, adding that he has been talking a lot to the head coach Rahul Dravid, senior players like skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and practicing to play as per situation. 
India's Asia Cup campaign will start in the match against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2. During the tournament, a lot of eyeballs will be on Suryakumar, or 'SKY' as he is known to fans. The batter had taken the cricketing world by storm with his audacious stroke-making and consistency in T20Is but is struggling to make an impact in ODIs despite a promising start in that format as well. 
"I would try to fulfill the role I am given by the team, no matter what role. This is a format I am looking forward to doing well in. I am doing great in T20Is. But these both are white-ball formats. Why I cannot crack the code here, people are wondering," Suryakumar told Star Sports. 
Suryakumar said that he finds the ODI format as the most challenging one because one has to play a healthy mix of all formats in it. 
"I am practicing. For me, this format is the most challenging one..you have to play a mix of all formats in this one. First you take your time, then you do some strike rotation then go for some big shots like in T20Is. I have been talking to head coach Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli," he added.
Suryakumar said he is trying to keep his attacking intent and approach intact. 
"But I am now trying to play as per the situation and practicing accordingly. Hopefully, this is the tournament where I crack the code," he added. 
"I am always excited to bat. It does not matter if I am out on the first ball. People ask me why I sprint to the crease when my chance to bat comes, but I feel that maintaining this excitement is important. When I am running well and play a few good strokes, I feel that I am in my zone and need to do something big for my team," he concluded. 
In 26 ODIs and 24 innings, Suryakumar has managed just 511 runs at an average of 24.33, with two half-centuries.
Interestingly, Suryakumar got a solid start in ODI cricket. In his first six innings, he scored 261 runs at an average of 65.25, with two half-centuries. His last half-century was in February 2022 against West Indies. In his first-ever ODI series against Sri Lanka, he also won the 'Man of the Series' award for scoring 124 runs in three innings at an average of 62.00 with one half-century, striking at an SR of around 122. 
But since then, it has been downhill for the batter. In 18 innings that followed since his last fifty, he has scored just 250 runs at an average of 14.70, with the best score of 35. This also includes three successive golden ducks against Australia. His drastic fall in ODIs and struggle to keep going in ODIs despite promising starts has puzzled a lot of fans. 
In the Asia Cup, Pakistan, India and Nepal are in Group A while Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are in Group B. The tournament will follow a hybrid model with Pakistan hosting four matches across two venues and Sri Lanka hosting the remaining games.
The six group-stage matches will be followed by the Super Fours, beginning September 6. 
The final will be played by the top two teams at the end of the Super Fours on September 17 in Colombo.  
Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna. (ANI)