Former South African batter AB de Villiers said people comparing Suryakumar Yadav of India to him for his 360-degree punching skills are correct. Suryakumar Yadav has informed everyone since his debut for India in 2021 against England.
After a somewhat lukewarm start, he is sizzling in the year 2022 where he has 1026 runs in 28 games with a century and 9 half-centuries to his name with an average of 44.60 and a dazzling strike rate of 186, 54. He also hit 93 fours and 59 sixes.
His only century in the format came in a losing attempt against England in a T20I at Nottingham and in the on-going ICC T20 World Cup 2022 he shined when he played for India. He is third in most runs in the tournament with 225 in 5 games with an average of 75 and a strike rate of 193.96. He also scored three half-centuries with the best of 68.
The only thing he will have to focus on is his consistency: Ab De Villiers on Suryakumar Yadav
Yes that are they. During his 61 out of 25 balls against Zimbabwe at the MCG, he repeatedly shuffled against left-arm sailor Richard Ngarava to shovel or sweep him behind the square leg from wide of the stump. After Suryakumar’s innings, which took India to 186 for 5, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar called him the “new Mr 360 degrees”. Not only Gavaskar, but former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who spoke on the ICC review, had compared Suryakumar’s hitting range to that of De Villiers.
And now AB de Villiers himself has approved those comparisons, saying that Suryakumar will be “in the golden books of cricketers” if he remains consistent.
“Yes that are they [right in comparing Suryakumar with me]. The only thing he will have to focus on is his consistency. He will have to do this for five to ten years and then he will end up in the golden books of cricketers.
Any player getting in shape… I think of quite a few guys really starting to play at the peak of their abilities, that gets me really excited. By the way, every athlete is beautiful to see when they are really free and having fun out there. Great to see Surya playing the way he plays now”, AB de Villiers told PTI.
Suryakumar Yadav will be in the spotlight as India takes on England in the second semi-final of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Thursday 9 November.
