Former India player Gautam Gambhir has lauded Suryakumar Yadav and also added that he is at a loss for words to describe Yadav’s knock in the third T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7. Suryakumar smashed an unbeaten 112 off just 51 balls as the host set a massive 229-run target for the visitors in the series decider. Their bowlers then dismissed Dasun Shanaka for 137 to help the hosts register a comfortable 91-run win.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir said: “I don’t have words for the way he has batted. I can say one thing for sure – he should be included in the Test team, the sort of player he is. He didn’t play any shots where he took a risk. All these shots are in his armory. Many players, when they play the lap, you feel whether they will be able to play it or not. It is all his natural ability and to convert that into that consistency that Suryakumar Yadav has done.”
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Gautam Gambhir said that Suryakumar Yadav did not have the luxury of batting in the powerplay overs as well and his entire knock was played after the powerplay as well.
“We all need to remember that the entire knock . You can imagine at what strike rate he has batted after the powerplay, so he is India’s most valuable batter in T20 cricket. The first thing is that you need a lot of mental toughness to premeditate those shots. You need to have the skill as you can be hit by the ball at times. He has not done it against these bowlers only. I remember the six he hit off Jofra Archer, who bowls at more than 145 kph, in Ahmedabad on his T20I debut,” Gautam Gambhir added.
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“Anyone can play the lap, everyone practices it as well but to have the mental toughness to play against a pace of more than 145 kph. A lot of players play this shot because they don’t have the ability to hit over mid-off but the range you have seen from extra cover to fine leg, what more range can you see from a player’s bat?,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.
