Among all the positives to emerge for India in limited-overs cricket in recent times, Suryakumar Yadav’s rise has been an important one. Having scored tons of runs in the IPL and showcased his shot-making repertoire, the 31-year-old forced his way into the Indian setup and has now established himself as an important member in the middle order. He has scored 294 runs in ODI cricket in eight innings at an average of 49 while he recently extended his run tally past 500 in T20Is during the course of a remarkable hundred in the final 20-over match against England.
One of the key aspects when it comes to Suryakumar’s batting is that he does not let the scoreboard stagnate, and his 360-degree batting has impressed many in the cricketing circles. While he has a strike rate of close to 180 in T20Is, the right-handed batter has also struck at a brisk rate in ODIs, with an SR of 102.08.
“My mindset is the same in one-day cricket, I try to bat the same way I do in T20 cricket. Playing your natural game is very important. There is also an advantage in ODIs as there are five fielders inside the circle. So your strokes and intent are always about scoring runs. So I have the same mindset. Even if wickets fall I try to keep the scoreboard ticking to make sure that we don’t fall short of runs if I need to finish the game in the last 10-15 overs,” Suryakumar said on Saturday (July 16), ahead of the final ODI against England in Manchester.
Rohit Sharma, the India skipper, recently spoke about Suryakumar’s growth in cricket and his utility to the team. Suryakumar, who has shared the dressing room with Rohit in domestic cricket and the IPL, said acknowledged the help and confidence given by his captain.
“He’s been watching me and talking about my cricket since I played domestic cricket. Coming into IPL in 2018-19 we used to talk a lot about my game, how I can improve, handle pressure situations and move forward and take the game ahead. We have had a lot of chat about my game and I have literally felt him on the ground whenever he’s leading. I have learnt a lot form him. I’m really happy he has shown a lot of confidence in me.
“I still remember during 2021 IPL second leg, I was not going through a good patch and he was the one who had a lot of chat with me (and supported me). The way things are going, I would like to pay back that confidence by scoring runs and winning the game for the team,” said Suryakumar.
Suryakumar had received immense praise for his recent T20I hundred which nearly took India over the line. Rohit was lavish in his appreciation of the batter while there were also some comparisons with AB de Villiers when it came to Suryakumar’s shot selection.
“It’s good, you get the motivation to do well,” said Suryakumar about the truckload of praises showered on his after the hundred. “I scored a hundred and obviously I was happy with the personal milestone. But at the same time there was an opportunity there to get the win for the team. What I could have done better there, that was the important thing for me to realise there. But I I get such praises, it feels good, I get the motivation to do even better going forward.
“When I started domestic cricket, when I made my debut for Mumbai, it was him (Rohit) who was batting at the other end. He always tries to think about what I can add to my game. We speak a lot about cricket, which areas I can improve, how long I can bat and help the team. Everyone likes personal milestones but at the same time if you keep the team ahead of you, your performances will always be good,” added Suryakumar.
Source By – Cricbuzz
