Situational awareness, flexibility the key to bat at any position, says MI's Suryakumar

Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Mumbai Indians player Suryakumar Yadav feels that situational awareness is the key to excelling with the bat, adding that he is flexible playing at any position and allows the management to take a call on his batting position.

After mostly batting in the top-order over the past couple of years, Suryakumar, who was retained by the Rohit Sharma-led franchise ahead of the IPL mega auction, has walked in at No. 4 and no.5 for Mumbai Indians in the three games he has played so far, and he felt it was simple for him to adapt.

Mumbai Indians, who are yet to open their account on the IPL points table, failing to find a winning formula in the first five matches of the season, will take on Lucknow Super Giants at the Brabourne Stadium later on Saturday and Suryakumar would be keen to carry forward his good form over the last couple of games to earn the five-time IPL champions the much-needed victory.

Speaking about his changing batting position in the team, Suryakumar said, "It is the management's call to decide my position. I am flexible to bat at No.3, 4, 5 or 6. I have been playing for a long time; it's situational for me now. It matters what situation I am batting in, not the position."

Despite the string of losses for MI, Suryakumar is mighty impressed with the performances of young players such as Dewald Brevis and Tilak Varma, who have played momentum-shifting knocks and have shown the ability to rebuild the innings when needed.

Suryakumar added that the team was in a rebuilding phase post the IPL mega auction and very soon some of these youngsters would start playing match-defining roles.

"You can see how Dewald and Tilak have done. We are building this team for the next few years and down the line, you will see some great players. They have come to one of the best teams because the management is great. I do not need to give them any advice; they have been doing a wonderful job. They are playing in a positive manner, I wish I had some of those shots at that age," said Suryakumar.

Surya, who joined the team late as he was recovering from a finger injury, said that recovering quickly from injuries and returning to make a mark was all about mental attitude.

"No one likes an injury, your mindset is important at that time, it is a mental game. I talked to a lot of people, including Rohit -- who has had finger injuries before. I knew I will be ready when I come back.

"I worked very hard to get that. I mean everyone works hard, but it is about mapping out your journey. I try to simulate match situations during practice, so when I play it becomes easier for me," he said.

With no wins thus far, the team may feel downbeat but Surya said that there was no letdown in the motivation levels or mindset.

"This has happened before. We are taking things positively, winning or losing is part of the game. It's about hard work, about the time you spend with coaches and family. There is always self-motivation when playing for MI and everyone is trying their best. We will surely catch up," he added.