"I don't think you can really make somebody like that" - Hrishikesh Kanitkar on Suryakumar Yadav
Hrishikesh Kanitkar believes it would be virtually impossible to make other batters play like Suryakumar Yadav.
Yadav smashed an unbeaten 34 off 25 balls in the second ODI between India and New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday, November 27. The match did not yield a result as rain forced players off the field, with the Men in Blue's score reading 89/1 in 12.5 overs after being asked to bat first.
During an interaction on Spark Sport, Kanitkar was asked whether he would want to see entertaining and exciting players like Suryakumar Yadav on the Indian side, to which he responded:
"We would love to see 10 players like that but I don't think you can really make somebody like that. Surya is an exception. What he does, very few batters will be able to do."
The Indian batting coach believes India's Mr. 360 will be a trendsetter in the modern game. He stated:
"He will be an inspiration to a lot of batters all over the world, to be very unconventional and not stick to the normal ways of batting. What we have seen from him, he practices that."
Glenn Phillips said, "Suryakumar Yadav is absolutely incredible. The things that he does I wouldn't even dream of doing".
Kanitkar stated that Yadav has been practicing his unconventional shots since he was a child. He observed:
"He has done it as a child as well because where he used to play, all these types of shots got rewarded with the tennis-ball cricket and all that they play. He has developed those and he has stuck with them."
Yadav has previously stated that he honed the scoop shot while playing rubber-ball cricket as a youngster. The Mumbai batter even reverse-swept Michael Bracewell for a six in the second ODI against the Kiwis.
"It's just ideal for anybody who is aspiring to be in the World Cup squad" - Hrishikesh Kanitkar on the New Zealand tour
Kanitkar was further asked about the New Zealand tour presenting an opportunity for youngsters to stake their claim for a spot in India's World Cup squad, especially in the absence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He replied in the affirmative, elaborating:
"It's a fabulous opportunity. It's an opportunity they are getting under foreign conditions. There is a lot to learn here. The New Zealand team is a very, very good team. So I think it's just ideal for anybody who is aspiring to be in the World Cup squad. This is the place to do well."
isse kehte hai Shub shuruvaat! 😇
Enjoy his batting while we wait for the 🌧 to subside & stay tuned to Prime Video for further updates.
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Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar are a couple of the youngsters who have stood out in the two games thus far. The Indian team management will hope that the final game of the series in Christchurch on Wednesday, November 30, is not truncated due to rain.