Former India pacer Zaheer Khan believes that swashbuckling India batter Suryakumar Yadav has copied South African legend AB de Villiers’ batting style pretty well. However, Zaheer added that Suryakumar is currently the closest to de Villiers’ 360-degree tag, sharing how the Indian batter has scored runs in all areas of the ground with his stunning strokeplay.

During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Zaheer said: “He (Suryakumar) is certainly the most deserving of the lot right now, from whatever are seeing of players going around right now. He has tried to replicate that, isn’t it? You have seen those sixes over point and those shots to third man, those ramp shots, and those shots to the fine leg area.”All those kind of aspects, he is certainly the most deserving candidate when it comes to AB de Villiers’ 360-degree tag.”

READ MORE: “Can be the future captain of India” – Kiran More on Ruturaj Gaikwad

With consistent performances, Suryakumar Yadav has successfully made a name for himself in Indian batting in T20Is as well. He is also currently the No. 1 ranked player in the format in ICC rankings and also leading India in the ongoing five-match home T20I series against Australia as well. He has scored the most runs for a middle-order batter in T20Is since 2021. He has scored 1326 runs in 34 innings at an average of 51.00 and a strike rate of 179.18. However, during the same discussion, former keeper-batter Parthiv Patel applauded Suryakumar for scoring at a stunning strike rate in the middle overs.

“That is the reason why we have been talking about how important player Suryakumar Yadav is in this format,” Parthiv stated. “The average of 51 with a strike rate of 179, and that too in middle-overs, where there is no powerplay. That makes him even more special. Every time we have seen him, he comes in with that flare and a clear mindset,” he said.