Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik said that right-hander batter Suryakumar Yadav is batting on a different planet altogether and deserves more game time following his impressive performance during the 3rd ODI against South Africa.

Suryakumar returned to the ODI fold after missing the first two games and scored an impressive 39 during India’s 288-run chase in Cape Town. Suryakumar, who has played 11 T20Is and 4 ODIs for India, has been retained by Mumbai Indians for the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“Suryakumar Yadav is batting on a different planet altogether; the kind of shots, the kind of positions, and the execution put together. He made batting look way easier than it was in that situation. Give him the long run, I’m sure he will do wonders for India. But, he needs a long run. Now, every time he comes out, he is under pressure from the players above and below him. It is very hard to set fields for him,” Dinesh Karthik said while speaking to Cricbuzz.

“SKY will play at the same tempo in any position. For Mumbai Indians also, he plays in a similar way coming in at No.3. You will get a good amount of runs if you play him at No.4 or 5, but I will bat him at No.5 or 6 in ODI cricket because he turns around games in quick time on a consistent basis.”

“Jadeja is ready to bat at No.6. In fact, he is batting so well that he can play at No.5 as well. He is not the reckless kid anymore, he is using his head now and winning games with the bat, and in white-ball cricket, his stronger suit might be his batting. He will deliver for you consistently because he has got a good head on his shoulders and he knows how to take a game deep,” Karthik added.