Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers is happy to see the rise of Suryakumar Yadav as the No. 1 ranked batter in T20I cricket. SKY’s ability to score runs all around the park has also drawn comparisons between him and the legendary batter AB de Villiers. While Suryakumar made a name for himself as a world-class T20 batter at the Mumbai Indians (MI) from around 2018, he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) before that, where he showed glimpses of brilliance but not consistency as well.
Speaking to Star Sports, AB de Villiers shared his initial memory of Suryakumar Yadav as a budding cricketer in the IPL. He said: “The first few years of me seeing him (SKY) play in the IPL, he was very circumspect, always consolidated in trying to build an innings. Now he is also doing that but it is almost like the platform is there for him to look for the opportunity to sort of take control of the game. That’s where a batter becomes dangerous. The minute he sees an opportunity, he takes it.”
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AB de Villiers further added: “I am very impressed and surprised. I didn’t see anything when I was playing in the IPL with him. It’s just great to see players exploring different avenues and just growing into a player no one saw coming.”
However, AB de Villiers feels that the only thing that could stop the swashbuckling batter from delivering on his promise is if he tries too hard to make things happen. The veteran also spoke about the importance of identifying moments to make an impact on the game as well.
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“I hope he never falls into the trap of trying to push it too hard. As a player, I always respected the situation. Always wait for your opportunity, be patient and you will get it. I believe he has the potential to take it to the next level.”
