Suryakumar Yadav, aka SKY, is in some exceptional form of his lifetime with the bat in T20 matches. He may not have yet cracked the ODI puzzle, but he goes bonkers in T20 games — be it international or IPL.
So far, the Mumbai batter has amassed 1675 runs in 48 T20I matches with an average of 46.52 and a staggering strike rate of 175.76.
Since making his debut for India in 2021, the cricket world has been in awe of his unique playing style. Some are even calling him the new “Mr. 360”.
Surya’s unconventional batting technique has reaped benefits for him, but bowlers are finding it hard to stop this sensational batter from scoring runs.
And when he bats, he makes sure to light up the stage by playing some crazy, unorthodox cricket shots. He has loads of shots in his armour, including the Supla Shot!
But have you ever wondered what makes Suryakumar Yadav so special?
In this article, I will break it down for you. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the read.
Suryakumar Yadav – India’s Mr. 360
I am sure you must have played cricket with a rubber ball at some point, as did Surya. In his school days, Surya played a lot of rubber ball cricket on hard cement pitches.
The bowlers used to throw the ball as fast as they could, which made playing scoop, pull, and cut shots easy. And this has contributed to Surya playing such unorthodox shots more often in the shortest format of the game.
One more important thing behind playing such shots is his flawless wrist work.
SKY believes in using his wrists to time the ball instead of depending on power-hitting like Andre Russell. This empowers him to play shots all over the ground making him a 360-degree player, like the South African great AB de Villiers.
Moreover, he also predetermines his shots before the bowler delivers the ball. And he doesn’t just premeditate one shot; he thinks of 2-3 shots.
This allows him to change his shot at the last moment if the bowler bowls a different line and length. It’s like having backup plans ready in case your main plan can’t be executed.
Further, he reads the field setup pretty well. He tries to decode what delivery a bowler might bowl based on the field setup. So, this allows him to take calculative risks and play shots accordingly — be it a scoop over the fine leg or a shot over the extra cover for a boundary.
Also Read: How to Play the Cover Drive in Cricket? Technique Explained
And last but not least, his fitness regime. Suryakumar started focusing more on his fitness. From having a nutritional diet to focusing on his batting aspects during the off-season has helped him elevate his game.
All this combined makes him a special cricketing talent who is destined to etch his name in the history books.
Final Words
From playing with a rubber ball to playing with the mindset of the bowlers, Suryakumar Yadav has come a long way. He has shown the world that you can score loads of runs by playing innovative shots.
This style of play may not suit everyone, but Surya has mastered it. No wonder he has smashed 3 T20I centuries in just 46 innings. And he is going to score many more.
Now, it will be interesting to see if he will emerge as an all-format player or restrict himself to T20s.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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