Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has heaped praise on India batsman Surya Kumar Yadav who played a match-winning knock against New Zealand in the first T20I in Jaipur on Wednesday. During the chase of 164, the Mumbai cricketer smashed a half-century, scoring 62 off just 40 deliveries to steer India to a five-wicket victory and also bagged the Man of the Match award.
Speaking at the post-match show on Star Sports, Pathan was asked if Suryakumar could be India’s key batter in the 2022 T20 World Cup. In reply, he said, “It is still far away. India have to play many more games before the next edition. But Suryakumar has given good signs for the future.”
“In the first match of the 2021 T20 World Cup, he didn’t look in form and it’s unfortunate that he couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity at that time, but he remains a very good batter. He has played well in domestic cricket consistently, and has impressed in IPL as well so we know he is a quality batter.
“If we talk about a 360-degree player, I think Suryakumar is our answer to that question. Because he tries to play in all directions, and he has the ability to cover all directions. He plays well against spinners and can deal with pace as well. And as we saw today, he completely showed his capabilities,” he added.
Former India head coach Sanjay Bangar also lauded the way Suryakumar batted against the Kiwi attack on Wednesday in Jaipur, stating that the 31-year-old is a ‘mature player’ who is aware of the value of ‘building partnerships’.
“He is a very calculating batter. He has waited a lot for an opportunity with the Indian team, so he knows the value of his wicket, the value of the situation and the value of building partnerships. He is a very mature player,” said Bangar.
