India's Suryakumar Yadav hits a four during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Zimbabwe in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)Pakistan legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are in awe of Suryakumar Yadav’s fearless batting approach and feel the Indian batter is not from earth.
“Mujhe toh lag raha ye kisi aur planet se aaya hai (I think he is from some other planet). He is totally different from anybody else. The number of runs he has scored…he’s just a treat to watch and not just against Zimbabwe, against the top bowling attacks in the world,” Akram said on A Sports.
“He is such a fearless batter. Darna nahi hai, gend lag bhi jaaye.. matlab maja aata hai aise ladke ko khelta dekh kar (He is so fearless that he is not even worried about getting hit on the body. I love watching him play,” added Akram.
Wasim’s fellow panellist Waqar Younis during the discussion chipped in with a brilliant one-liner, he said: “Bowler jaaye toh jaaye kahaan (Where should the bowler bowled at him).”
Waqar also explained that why it is difficult for bowlers to get him out in the T20Is.
“I am just thinking what is the best way of get him out in the T20Is, in ODIs and Test cricket you can plan something set him up. But in T20Is, the bowlers are always on backfoot and against the batter, who is in such good form, and a batter with such a dominant nature. It is very difficult to bowl at him,” he said.
“Sirf ye nahi hai ki ye chakke bade maarta hai… it is just that he hits everywhere. He is 360-degree player.. look at all those boundaries, he can play scoop, can play inside out over the extra cover, can play over backward point, can hit over bowlers head,” added Waqar.
However, Waqar also hinted that the only to stop Suryakumar Yadav is to bowl bouncers at him. He said: “I think Pakistan did well against him; they bombarded him with bouncers. Maybe that’s the only way to go and I hope Pakistan plays India in the final at the MCG, where the pitch is bit spicy, and that would be a good game.”
Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik feels that Suryakumar Yadav is the prime example of how one must bat in the T2OIs.
“He is that kind of student who has done all his homework. He comes fully prepared. He is the prime example of how one should bat in the middle order. This is a good lesson for others as well,” he said.
“He plays with the field placement. He knows he can’t hit four sixes in four or six in six every day. His shot selections are beautiful. In one of his interview, he said that he does a lot of practice and as the adage go practice makes a man perfect,” added Malik.