The newest sensation

December 4, 2022

Suryakumar Yadav's incredibly powerful hitting makes him one of the most feared T20 batsmen these days

The newest sensation

Twenty20 cricket is the most entertaining format of the game. Fast pace and results in hours make it more attractive for the spectators.

Power-hitters like David Warner, Corey Anderson, David Miller, Hardik Pandya and Jos Buttler are some of the specialists of the game.

Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav is the new sensation of the shortest format. His incredibly strong and powerful hitting has made him one of the most feared T20 batsmen these days. He scores in a 360-degree style which is very difficult for bowlers to defend.

He has a great ability to clear the ropes. Surya will surely dominate for many years to come, if he remains fit.

The 32-year-old batsman has all the shots, including some that are not there in the textbook. The uppercut is a key weapon in Suryakumar's behind-point arsenal. He can play it when the ball is climbing above shoulder height.

Former Indian captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar believes that Suryakumar has evolved into the new Mr 360 degree and India will struggle to put up enough runs on the board if he fails to fire.

Suryakumar Ashok Yadav made his T20I debut against England in Ahmedabad on March 14, 2021, but didn't get a chance to bat as India won the game by 7 wickets. But in the second T20I, he didn't miss the opportunity and proved his selection right with 57 off 37 -- strike rate over 183 -- with six fours and three sixes.

His aggressive approach can be judged from the fact that he hooked the first ball of Jofra Archer for a six. He scored two fifties in his first three matches.

In the T20 World Cup 2022, he remained the third highest run-getter with 239 runs in six matches, averaging 49.75, including one hundred and three fifties.

In one-and-a-half years and after playing only 42 T20Is, Suryakumar grabbed the top position in the ICC T20I player rankings with 890 points. He displaced Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan from 1st position.

In 42 matches, he scored 1408 runs, averaging 44 with two centuries and 12 fifties. His strike rate of 180.97 is staggering.

But against Pakistan, he has not been as successful as against other teams. Suryakumar has played four T20I against green shirts so far and managed only 57 runs with a high score of 18, averaging 14.25, and a strike rate of 123.91.

Suryakumar has been in exceptional form in T20Is in 2022. He is the highest run-getter with 1164 runs in 31 games this year, averaging 46.56 and striking at 187.43.

He made his first-class debut in Ranji Trophy in 2010 for Mumbai and in the first game he scored 73. He was the only player to score a fifty in Mumbai's first innings.

In the next season, he remained the most successful batsman of his team with 754 runs in nine matches with one double-hundred against Orissa and a century.

Impressed by his talent, he received an IPL contract from Mumbai Indians in 2011, but played only a few IPL matches until 2013. He moved to Kolkata Knight Riders and was very handy lower down the order and played a few useful cameos for KKR.

But he again joined Mumbai Indians in 2018 and since then he has been an essential part of his team in the IPL. In his presence Mumbai became IPL champions twice.

Overall, in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has played 123 matches since his IPL debut in 2012, scoring 2644 runs, averaging 30.39, at a strike rate of 136.78. He scored 16 fifties but has failed to reach the three-figure mark so far.

In first-class cricket, Suryakumar has a decent record. He has scored over 5300 runs in 77 matches at an average of 44 with 14 centuries and 26 fifties.

Suryakumar's outstanding performance credit should go to Mr. Khodadad who discovered him. At the Parsee Gymkhana ground, he specially got a hard wicket prepared for Yadav's training. Khodadad set different chasing targets like 28 runs in 2 over and if batting first 30 runs.

He reads the field, judges early what line and length the bowler will deliver, and moves himself before the bowler delivers the ball, and sends the ball into empty areas outside the 30-yard circle.

"I would play a lot of rubber-ball cricket with my friends during the rainy season on a hard, concrete surface. The boundary on the off side was 30-40 metres but the leg-side one was 70-80 metres. I started playing the scoop, lap... it has all come from there," he says.

Suryakumar has also played 16 One-day Internationals, scored 384 runs, at an average of 32 and a strike rate of 100.52 with a high score of 64 including two fifties.

Regarding playing Test cricket, Suryakumar said: "I have a fair idea about the Test format and I enjoy playing that format also. Hopefully, I will get the Test cap soon."

If he maintains his form and fitness for the next couple of years, Suryakumar can break many records, especially in the shortest format of the game.


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The newest sensation