"Don't let him get on strike" - Aakash Chopra on the only way Suryakumar Yadav can be stopped
Aakash Chopra has said that the only way to keep Suryakumar Yadav quiet is by keeping him away from the strike.
Yadav smashed an unbeaten 111 off just 51 balls as India set a 192-run target for New Zealand in the second T20I at Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 20. The Men in Blue then completed a comprehensive 65-run win by bowling out the Black Caps for 126.
While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was all praise for Yadav, saying:
"Guwahati, Perth, Sydney, Tauranga - he is flying our flag everywhere. His name is Suryakumar Yadav. He showed why he is the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the ICC rankings. There is no one better than him. Tim Southee told the only way he can be stopped, don't let him get on strike."
The former Indian opener questioned whether India's Mr. 360 is their first specialist T20 batter. He elaborated:
"The question which came to my mind is - Is he our first original T20 batter? Rest all are three-format players, this guy is different. He welcomes bowlers with fours and sixes and hits so much that even the opposition team says they cannot stop him."
Yadav smashed 11 fours and seven sixes during his innings. He became the second Indian to score two T20I centuries in a calendar year, with Rohit Sharma being the other.
"He is playing incredible shots" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav
Chopra was in awe of some of the shots played by Yadav, stating:
"He is my Player of the Match. When he comes, he comes differently. An unbeaten 111 off 51 balls, the second fifty came off 17 balls, a strike rate of 300. He is playing incredible shots. Generally, cricketers who play such shots do not use their feet because bowlers don't give that much flight."
The reputed commentator was particularly appreciative of the Mumbai batter's ability to dance down the track and hit the spinners over extra cover. He explained:
"The thing I found different about Suryakumar Yadav was the way his feet were dancing, the way he hit Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi over covers after stepping out, very difficult shot to execute, and the more difficult thing is to have time to create momentum by stepping out, he is finding that."
Suryakumar Yadav is making international cricket look like a video game 🤯
111* off 51 💥
He's a cheat code! https://t.co/aM1V2clUdw
Chopra termed Yadav being ready to play the scoop shot before the ball is delivered and the way he swivels his body as a jaw-dropping experience. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Mumbai Indians player getting to bat at No. 3 was helpful as he got to play more deliveries.