During KKR’s second IPL title win in 2022, former captain Gautam Gambhir had in his team a player who wasn’t spoken much of but is today considered the world’s best T20I batter, as per the ICC ranking.
Gautam Gambhir has excelled for India in all three formats. Gambhir made his India debut in 2003, but it wasn’t until 2007 that his career truly took off. From winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa to becoming a vital component of India’s Test setup to winning the World Cup in 2011, Gambhir left his mark on T20Is, ODIs, and Tests. Gambhir led India to two World Cup finals and played one of the most spectacular innings by an Indian batter abroad in 2009/10, scoring 137 against New Zealand during a lengthy knock in Napier, propelling India to a 1-0 win in a three-Test series.
Later, he would captain the Kolkata Knight Riders, leading them to IPL championships in 2012 and 2014. During the second title win, Gambhir’s team included a player who was little talked about but is now regarded as the world’s finest T20I batter, according to the ICC rankings. Suryakumar Yadav of India is the one and only Mr. 360 degree. Surya’s meteoric climb has been one for the ages. Surya went to the top of the ICC rankings for T20I batters less than two years after making his India debut, scoring over 1100 runs.
However, it would not have been possible without Surya’s time with the Mumbai Indians, where he had three fantastic seasons – 512 runs in 2018, 424 runs in 2019, and another 480 runs in 2022 as MI won back-to-back titles. Suryakumar is a textbook example of a breakout T20 player, and his former coach, Gautam Gambhir, is delighted to see the Mumbai batter capitalise on his opportunities.
“He is, in fact, an IPL product. When compared to his first-class performances, his IPL figures are outstanding. But it’s always a good sign when somebody like Suryakumar Yadav, who has gone through the grind of first-class cricket, seize whatever opportunities come their way “According to Gambhir on ESPNCricinfo.
Surya has already reached the peak of success in T20Is, with two scorching hundreds last year, and his next ambition is to solidify his spot in India’s ODI set-up with a 50-over World Cup on the horizon. Surya would undoubtedly have one eye on a Test berth once completed, a wish he has expressed openly and regularly. Surya, encouraged by Gambhir, has the potential to become one of India’s best all-rounders if all goes as planned.
