Suryakumar Yadav was able to participate in the photograph wearing his own shirt, but he wanted to play in a larger uniform.
Suryakumar Yadav took to the field in the first One-Day International (ODI) against West Indies, causing some confusion and hilarity. The name and number of wicketkeeper Sanju Samson were written on the back of Surya’s shirt, which aroused the interest of followers online. Fans of Samson were sad that the India wicketkeeper did not make the playing XI, but SKY made sure ‘Samson’ was on the field in his own unique style.
Predictions of an equipment issue were confirmed by a BCCI insider to The Indian Express on Friday morning, with the outfit that had received for SKY being a size too small. Furthermore, while the batter was able to participate in the photograph wearing his own jersey, he decided to play in a larger uniform.
“There was a size problem with his jersey. We were informed two days before the game. The BCCI has mailed his new jersey with Indian team players picked for the T20 series, therefore he will receive it after the second ODI. “Until then, he will play in his teammate’s jersey,” a source informed The Indian Express.
Suryakumar will have to wait until the final ODI in Tarouba to receive the retrofitted jersey, which he will then be eligible to wear throughout the T20I series, as this is India’s first white-ball series kitted out by sporting giants Adidas. This is the second year in a row that India has faced logistical issues on their Caribbean tour, with a T20 last year being postponed due to a delay in the team’s luggage being carried from Trinidad to St Kitts.
Aside from the jersey mix-up, India won easily, as Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav tortured the West Indian batting and set up a straightforward chase for the visitors. The Indian captain shuffled the batting order to give more opportunities to some of the middle order hitters, notably Yadav, who batted at No. 3 and scored 19(25).
It remains to be seen whether SKY will stay a regular in the ODI side for the remainder of the series, as there have been suggestions for the guy whose shirt he wore to bat in the middle order instead. Yadav has struggled in ODIs, although Samson is averaging 66 in the format and might get the nod as India experiments ahead of the ODI World Cup later this year.
