Former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara believe Suryakumar Yadav should have been a part of the Indian squad touring Australia.

Lara said that the 30-year-old batsman has all the qualities of a good batsman and he definitely deserved his maiden India call-up.

The non-selection, despite his prolific run in domestic cricket and the IPL 2020, extended Suryakumar’s wait for an India cap.

The Mumbaikar played a crucial role in helping Mumbai Indians retain their title with his consistent performance.

Hailing Yadav’s capability to bat under pressure for his IPL franchise, Lara said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected that Yadav should have made the cut in the Indian team for the tour of Australia.

“Yeah, definitely. He’s a class player. I don’t just look at players that score runs, I look at their technique, capabilities under pressure, positions that they’re batting and for me, Suryakumar Yadav has done such a wonderful job for Mumbai.

He comes to bat on the back of Rohit Sharma, and Quinton de Kock and every time, they are under pressure, he comes in at No. 3.

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“Just remember, your No. 3 batsmen, other than the openers, the No. 3 batsman in any cricket team is normally your best player, your most reliable player. And for me, he has been that for Mumbai Indians and I see no reason why, looking at the squad, he can be a part of it.”

“During this tournament actually I was a bit disappointed. I knew the team was going to come out, and the same day I tried myself to keep busy, just try and avoid getting that thought — there is a squad selection tonight.

“So I thought I’ll just focus on my process and my things properly and instead of thinking about the call-up, I will try and keep myself busy, I can go to the gym or maybe spend time with my teammates.

“But yes, at the back of the mind, there was a thought that the team is coming out tonight,” Suryakumar told PTI in an interview. The dashing right-handed batsman admitted that he was hurt when he saw that his name did not feature in the list.

“I sat in a room and started thinking, why my name is not there, but after looking at the squad there were a lot of players who got a lot of runs as well and even they have been playing consistently, doing well for India, doing well in IPL,” he added further.