IND vs AUS 2022: "Too early to compare him to Mr. 360 AB de Villiers" - Rajkumar Sharma on India's Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has proved to be one of Team India's X-factors in the shortest format ever since making his debut in 2021. He has played some incredible knocks for the Men in Blue, including his sensational hundred against England at Trent Bridge earlier this year.
However, Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma feels that the 32-year-old still has a lot to prove when it comes to the big stage. Yadav was inconsistent in the 2022 Asia Cup, scoring only one half-century (against Hong Kong) in four innings.
Speaking to India News Sports, Rajkumar stated his belief that Yadav was getting too ahead of himself. He said:
"Suryakumar Yadav is getting too ahead of himself. This is because of the ultra-attacking brand of cricket that India is playing. You don't need to aim for 220 every time when you can reach 180 playing sensible cricket."
Given his ability to play shots all around the ground, Yadav has been compared to former South African batter AB de Villiers. Rajkumar, however, believes such comparisons are premature and added:
"I think it is too early to compare him to Mr. 360 AB de Villiers. He needs to be more consistent because of the faith that's shown in him."
Rajkumar Sharma on Indian opener KL Rahul's poor record
Indian vice-captain KL Rahul boasts a healthy strike rate of 140.91 in T20Is. However, this drops down drastically when he faces opposition who are ranked among the top nine teams in the world.
Rajkumar Sharma feels that this is a "really concerning" feature that the opener needs to improve on.
KL Rahul said, "I'm working towards my Strike Rate. No one is perfect, everyone is working towards something".
The former Delhi cricketer believes Rahul needs to step up and repay the faith shown in him by the selectors by delivering a stellar performance against Australia. He stated:
"It is really concerning that KL Rahul's strike rate drops off alarmingly when he plays against a side in the top nine rankings. He is a talented player and I hope he comes good, but this record will definitely be playing in his mind and it is something to worry about."
India will take on Australia in the first T20I of their three-match series on Tuesday (September 20) at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Will KL Rahul be able to score big in the first T20I against Australia on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments.