Gavaskar reckons Yadav as the news Mr. 360!
Suryakumar Yadav, an Indian middle-order batter, is now the new Mr. 360 degree. Also, legendary former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that if he fails to get going, India will work hard to score good runs. Suryakumar, the best Twenty20 (T20) batsman in the world right now, has dominated his first ICC T20 World Cup, […]
Suryakumar Yadav, an Indian middle-order batter, is now the new Mr. 360 degree. Also, legendary former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar believes that if he fails to get going, India will work hard to score good runs.
Suryakumar, the best Twenty20 (T20) batsman in the world right now, has dominated his first ICC T20 World Cup, scoring dazzling runs in the Super 12 stage to help India reach the semi finals of the marquee event. He scored an unbeaten 61 off 25 balls against Zimbabwe, distributing the ball throughout the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
“Each of those innings was pretty much 360 degrees. He [Surya] is the new Mr. 360 degree. There was that one shot he hit for a six just to the wicketkeeper’s left. Then he went a little square in the final overs, for example, taking advantage of the angle the bowler was trying to aim at. Then, also the lofted extra cover drive. He has got every shot in the book. There was a straight drive as well,”
Gavaskar feels that Suryakumar is the rationale India has thrived in scoring defendable totals.
“He is turning out to be the player who is taking India to totals which you can defend. The score India got was the highest T20I score at the MCG. Without his 61 not out, India would not have reached even 150,”
he noted.
KL Rahul, India’s underrated wicketkeeper and opener, scored consecutive half-centuries in their previous two matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Gavaskar is of the opinion that Rahul will have to take charge if Suryakumar fails.
“Currently, two batters are in prime form, Kohli and Suryakumar. It was also good to see KL Rahul get yet another half-century, but he has to look to get more than that for a simple reason. If Surya doesn’t fire, India will struggle to get 140-150. It’s therefore vital for Rahul to keep going,”
Gavaskar added.
‘Let’s hope Rohit is saving the runs for the next two matches’
By his own standards, skipper Rohit Sharma has had a disappointing T20 World Cup, scoring only 89 runs in five matches and notching 53 against the Netherlands.
“Well, let’s hope he saves the runs for the next two games. They are going to be the biggest matches. You know there’s another game to follow in a group game, so you may sometimes try too much and get out,”
reckoned Gavaskar.
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“Now, these are knockout games. In a knockout game, you can’t afford to experiment too much. You need to be at your best. Let’s hope that Rohit comes good,”
Gavaskar imagined.
Rohit hasn’t been able to provide India with trustworthy starts, and the pull, his trademark shot, has been his undoing in Australia.
“What’s been happening is that he [Rohit], as the team captain, has set this template in the first six overs to go bang, bang, and bang. Suddenly, he can’t be seen looking to work the ball around. He is always a good puller of the ball. But, on Australian boundaries, that pull shot has got him into trouble. We saw that two years ago as well. He [Rohit] got out twice by playing the pull shot after scoring 40-50 runs [in Test cricket]. That’s got him into trouble again. In a T20 format with just one fielder in the first six overs, he has got to be mindful of the fielder and play the pull shot. It’s a productive shot for him. Let’s not forget that,”
Gavaskar concluded.
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