India’s former coach, Ravi Shastri reckoned that Suryakumar Yadav has a lot of similarities with AB de Villiers ‘at his very best’. On Sunday, November 27, the 32-year-old Suryakumar played another fiery knock of 34 runs off 25 balls against New Zealand in the called-off second ODI at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
The batter didn’t play his shots in the beginning but suddenly increased the momentum as he got the measure of the conditions and the Black Caps’ bowling attack. Shastri, who left the Indian team after the T20 World Cup 2021, was of the opinion that Suryakumar’s strokeplay demoralizes opponents as he plays shots in unusual areas.
During a recent chat with Prime Video, Ravi Shastri said, “He is one of the best players in the world if not the best T20 player. He has got the all-round game and he is devastating. On his day, if he bats 30-40 balls, he’ll win you the match because he scores at that pace and he demoralizes the opposition with the kind of shots he plays.”
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He further added, “He is much like AB de Villiers at his best. When AB played one of those special innings, it deflated the opposition and Surya can do just that.”
After scoring a sparkling century in the second T20I at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, Suryakumar Yadav got out cheaply in the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland. He started his knock with a glorious four through the off-side, but couldn’t carry on as Lockie Ferguson got rid of him. However, Shastri reckoned that Suryakumar can fail in a few innings, keeping in mind the audacious strokes he plays.
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Describing the same, Ravi Shastri said, “If you look at the numbers and law of averages, he is bound to have an innings like that. But if he gets past the 15-20-run mark, he makes it count as he showed in some of his earlier innings. So, he backs his ability and attacking instincts. So when you have those kinds of instincts, every odd inning, he is bound to fail. But when it comes off, it’s spectacular.”
