Who said what - top five expert reactions on Suryakumar Yadav's blistering 83 in 3rd T20I vs West Indies
Suryakumar Yadav was back to his absolute best for India in the third T20I against the West Indies in Guyana on Tuesday. With the series on the line, SKY produced a sensational knock of 83 off just 44 balls and ensured the visitors comfortably chased down the target of 160.
SKY walked out to bat in the very first over when Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed. However, he put pressure on the West Indies straightaway by smashing a four and a six off his first two balls. He got great support from Tilak Varma at the other end and just kept on playing some audacious shots.
The whole cricketing fraternity was thrilled to see Suryakumar Yadav at his best. Here are five such reactions from cricket experts after SKY's incredible knock:
#1 Aakash Chopra
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has his own unique way of praising the cricketers and this time, he used the Vada Pav (famous snack in Mumbai) reference to describe Suryakumar Yadav's shots.
Here's what he said in a video on his YouTube channel:
"Suryakumar Yadav. The commentators there chose him and I am also choosing him because it is impossible for anyone else to be here. When Surya shines, everyone looks pale in front of him. He doesn't like vada pav as much as he likes the sweep. He plays amazingly well."
#2 Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel was delighted to see SKY get back among the runs and dominate the opposition bowlers. In his review of the game on Cricbuzz, Patel explained how Suryakumar absolutely toyed with the bowlers and made a mess of their plans.
On this, he stated:
"I think Suryakumar Yadav's biggest strength is to get into those positions very quickly, almost anticipating where the bowler is going to bowl. He is almost forcing the bowlers to bowl where he wants them to bowl. It looked like he will cruise to his hundred, but unfortunately, it did not happen. It was a complete T20 innings by Suryakumar Yadav."
#3 Kamran Akmal YouTube channel
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal shed light on how Suryakumar Yadav ensured that the early wickets of the Indian openers didn't hurt their chase. Here's what he said in a video on his YouTube channel:
"When early wickets fell, it was still okay because the senior batters took responsibility and ensured the job was done. Suryakumar Yadav is such a player that when he fires, he just makes the game one-sided and that's exactly what he did."
#4 Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer spoke about Suryakumar's brand of cricket and explained how he loves to play high-risk shots. He was happy to see him get back into form after looking a bit rusty on the tour before the third T20I.
Here's what Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo:
"He’s that kind of a batter. He likes to take risks and when it comes off, you get to see an innings like that. Absolute delight. When he is playing like that, he is a nightmare for bowlers and the [opposition] captain."
#5 Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar made a humorous comment about where the West Indies bowlers should have bowled to SKY. He feels they were a lot shorter and believes SKY feasts on those lengths.
Here's what Manjrekar tweeted:
"The only way to minimise ‘Surya carnage’ is to bowl full, right upto him. Force him to play towards long on & long off, against the pace. Any thing back of length, you will get neck strain watching the ball disappear into the stands. 😊"
Suryakumar Yadav won his 12th Player of the Match award for his knock in just his 51st T20I game.