India captain Suryakumar Yadav offered a balanced response to the controversy surrounding the pre-seeding system at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, even as debate continues among fans and experts.
The tournament’s format saw eight teams pre-assigned seedings before the competition began. As a result, qualification for the Super Eight stage did not alter a team’s placement based on group-stage performance. The system drew criticism, with many questioning why teams were not rewarded for topping their respective groups. Consequently, all four group winners, India, Zimbabwe, South Africa and West Indies, were placed in the same Super Eight group.
Ahead of India’s Super Eight clash against South Africa on Sunday, Suryakumar was asked for his view on the seeding format.
Also read: Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues power India to historic T20I series win in Australia
“Sir, I don’t know much about these pre-seedings or who decides them. But as I said in the last press conference, if I were in that position, I would definitely look at tweaking it,” he said.
However, the skipper downplayed concerns about venue familiarity, pointing out that most players have experience across grounds due to their participation in the Indian Premier League.
“Everyone has played at this venue. Whoever comes for the IPL has featured at almost all the venues,” he added.
Suryakumar also addressed questions over Abhishek Sharma’s recent struggles, after the top-ranked T20 batter endured a hat-trick of ducks. Responding with a mix of humour and sarcasm, the India captain backed his teammate strongly.
“I worry for the people who are worried about Abhishek’s form. Why are they so concerned?” Suryakumar quipped.
He reminded critics of Abhishek’s impact over the past year. “Last year, Abhishek covered for all of us. Now it’s our responsibility to cover for him.”
Confident that the young batter would soon return to form, Suryakumar added, “I think about the teams that have to play against him. He hasn’t scored yet, and you know what happens when he does. It’s a team sport. These phases come and go.”
