Former India player Gautam Gambhir said that Suryakumar Yadav is in a different league as a T20 batsman compared to the young and talented Shreyas Iyer. Yadav has been added to India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Iyer, on the other hand, has been included in the three standbys alongside Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur.
During a discussion on the Star Sports show Follow the Blues, Gautam Gambhir shared his views on the two batsmen. He responded: “Suryakumar Yadav is a completely different class as compared to Shreyas Iyer. He is much more versatile. He is much more unorthodox as well and in T20 cricket you want people who are unorthodox.”
READ HERE: Shaun Tait explains why speedsters struggle to bowl 150+kmph
The former India opener also stated that Suryakumar Yadav has a lot of shots in his kitty. Gambhir elaborated: “You want people who can hit that ball in different areas. He can lap you, he can late cut you, he can hit you over extra cover, he has got all the shots, especially at No.4.”
Dreams do come true💫
Very honored and emotional on getting this opportunity to represent my country in the T20 World Cup🇮🇳
BIG thank you to my coaches and family for their sacrifices and constant love & support. Completely overwhelmed on receiving so many wishes😇🧿#blessed pic.twitter.com/MV21dyNyxy
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) September 9, 2021
Suryakumar Yadav has been in great form and did well in the four T20Is he has played for Team India so far. He has smashed 139 runs which came at a strike rate of 169.51 and has already hit two fifties in three innings as well. Gautam Gambhir has also highlighted that he can adjust his game according to the situation.
READ HERE: Aakash Chopra opens up on New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad
He explained: “Somtimes, No.4 is the most tricky position to bat in T20 cricket. Probably the easiest is the top three but No.4, sometimes you might be in when you have lost two early wickets and sometimes you come into the middle when you are 120/2 and then you have got to continue with that momentum. So, Surya has got both kinds of game which probably Shreyas Iyer doesn’t have.”
“You have also got to be mindful that he is coming off a serious injury and you never know what kind of a form he would be in the second leg of the IPL as well. So, they have gone with someone who has done really well since he has got into international cricket,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.
