"You have to declare that he is the greatest in the T20 format" - Aakash Chopra on what Suryakumar Yadav can achieve if he maintains his form
Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra has backed Suryakumar Yadav to end his career as the greatest T20 player if he maintains his current form for at least a couple more years.
The right-handed batter scored his fourth T20I hundred (100 off 56 balls) to lead India to a mammoth 106-run win in the third T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Suryakumar is now on par with Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell for the most number of T20I hundreds scored - four. The No.1-ranked T20I batter has been unstoppable in the format from the get-go and is even leading the second-string Indian side in the absence of senior members.
"If Surya keeps on playing like this, then it is only a matter of one or two years, that you have to declare that he is the greatest in the T20 format," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
While Suryakumar's exploits were praised by fans, a small section of people questioned why he could not do it in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. He managed just 18 runs off 28 deliveries, struggling on a sluggish surface.
"Team India rarely loses do-or-die matches. I was reading that as soon as you start praising someone, it reminds them of November 19. Even in the third T20I, it was kind of the same after Surya's performance. So, for that I have to say, clinging onto the past at the expense of losing the present is not worth it. The formats were different, and it was not Surya alone that was out in the final. When he is scoring runs now, I think it is unfair to ask why did he not score in the final," Chopra added.
Furthermore, Suryakumar has been a completely different player in the shortest format compared to the 50-over game. His style of batting is well-suited for T20 cricket, and it speaks through his performances.
"You cannot even say that he is a flat track bully or a stat padder" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav
All four of Suryakumar Yadav's T20I hundreds have come in a different country. His maiden three-figure score in T20Is came in England, with the next two coming in New Zealand and India, respectively.
On Thursday, he broke MS Dhoni's record (46) for the highest score by an Indian T20I captain in South Africa, by some distance as well.
"All of Surya's T20I hundreds have come in different countries. So, you cannot even say that he is a flat track bully or a stat padder. India won the third T20I because of him. Jaiswal also played really well at the top. He is really making a statement to be part of the team across formats," Chopra said
"In my opinion, at this point in time, he is the best T20 batter. There is no one better than him at present. If he continues playing like this for the next two years, including the 2024 T20 World Cup, he can retire as the greatest T20 batter when he chooses to leave the game," Chopra concluded
Suryakumar has held onto his No.1 ranking as a T20I batter for a while now and recently extended the lead over his peers as well.
Will Suryakumar Yadav leave the game as the greatest T20 batter to ever play the game? Let us know what you think.