Indian batting ace Suryakumar Yadav has had a memorable year with the bat for India in T20IS. He has scored in excess of 1000 runs this year, becoming the first Indian to do so. He also became the second Indian batter to score two T20I centuries in a calendar year after skipper Rohit Sharma.
This year it seemed that SKY was playing at another level. He was unable to do any wrong in the shortest format. Whenever the ball came into contact with his bat, it usually will be cleared across the boundary rope.
Former South African skipper Graeme Smith has paid the highest compliment to the Indian star by comparing him to South African great AB de Villiers.
“It’s terrific to have a player coming through like Surya.” Graeme Smith
Smith said that he was able to draw comparisons between AB de Villiers during his prime and Suryakumar Yadav. Both had the ability to play the right shot at the right time.
“I’ve seen Surya for a while now at the IPL. I’ve been fortunate to see him while commentating. You just see him grow every year. You could see he has the talent. And it’s almost like watching AB in many ways. The thinking, he has started to become at the same level as the talent and the ability to play the right shots at the right time,” Graeme Smith told Sports Today at the India launch of SA20.
He also spoke about the energy and excitement a player like SKY brings to the team due to his attractive shot-making skills that brings more audience to the game, especially in the shortest format, T20s.
“It’s terrific to have a player coming through like Surya. The energy he brings to the game and everybody turns on the TV to watch a player like him. It’s exciting and yeah, it’s terrific for Indian cricket,” he added.
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