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Former Indian cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Anil Kumble showered accolades on Suryakumar Yadav following his pivotal innings against Afghanistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Sanjay Manjrekar lauded Yadav as one of the premier T20 batsmen globally after India’s triumphant start in the Super 8 stage.
Suryakumar Yadav showcased his batting prowess during India’s opening Super 8 encounter at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, June 20. The right
-handed batsman played a crucial role, scoring 53 runs off just 28 deliveries, which included five boundaries and three sixes. Yadav’s stellar performance earned him the “Player of the Match” award on a challenging pitch.
Sanjay Manjrekar says Suryakumar Yadav Chips The Balls Over The Infield
During ESPNCricinfo’s TimeOut show, Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized Suryakumar Yadav’s influence within the Indian team, particularly on difficult pitches. Manjrekar praised Yadav’s knack for finding gaps with his ground shots, noting that his batting prowess extends beyond just hitting sixes.
“This is the advantage India have for having one of the best T20 batters in the world. Tricky pitch, Rashid Khan on song and again you saw the value that Suryakumar Yadav brings to any team,” Manjrekar said.
“And again the thing to like about him which is not really highlighted much is the amount of ground shots that he plays. He chips the balls over the infield in the gaps. So, he’s not somebody who’s always looking for sixes which means sometimes there can be miss-execution trying to extract power,” he added.
India had a shaky beginning despite winning the toss, with Rohit Sharma departing for just 8 runs off 13 balls in the third over. Rishabh Pant provided a brief spark with a rapid 20 off 11 deliveries before falling to Rashid Khan. Suryakumar Yadav entered the fray with India struggling at 54/2 after 7 overs.
Showing assertiveness, the 33-year-old batsman took on the Afghanistan bowlers. Yadav recorded his second consecutive half-century in the tournament before getting dismissed after reaching the fifty-run mark. Despite the early setbacks, India managed to compile 181 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Anil Kumble said Don’t Know Where To Bowl
In the same conversation, Anil Kumble emphasized that Suryakumar Yadav’s inclusion at number four enhances India’s batting with his aggressive stroke play, which unsettles opposing bowlers. Kumble underscored the importance of Yadav rediscovering his form during the Super Eights phase for India’s campaign.
“It (Suryakumar’s presence) gives India the kind of power and stroke play that you need from someone who’s batting at number four. It certainly puts pressure on the opposition bowlers because it’s not easy to control a Surya in this kind of a form,” said Kumble.
“You don’t know where to bowl, wherever you bowl, you find it hard to stop him from scoring boundaries. So, yeah, it certainly augurs well. First game of the Super 8s and you have Surya coming back into this kind of form,” Kumble added.
Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the team is currently positioned second in Group 1, boasting two points and a commendable net run rate (NRR) of +2.350. Next up, Team India will square off against Bangladesh at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday, June 22nd.
