With the next big thing in cricketing extravaganza is set to take place in the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America in June 2024 with the likes of crickets exciting format T20I taking centerstage, there could be no other batter who could grab the centerstage of this tournament with his monstrous record and style in this format, India’s very own “Mr 360 degree” and current T20I No 1 batter Suryakumar Yadav.
Since beginning his T20I journey for India in 2021, Suryakumar Yadav has quickly established himself as one of the best batters in the shortest format of the game, scoring four centuries and 17 fifties from 60 T20Is.His impressive run got him the No.1 spot in the ICC Rankings for T20I batters in 2022, which he has held on to since.
However, the big-hitting batter has struggled to make a similar impact in ODIs. Suryakumar Yadav remains an enigma in international cricket. While his T20I numbers continue to peak, his ODI returns are plummeting
Suryakumar Yadav who finally seemed to be decoding the 50-overs format with consecutive half-centuries against Australia prior to the World Cup, crashed and burned when it was time for the real test. His painstaking innings of 18 off 28 balls when India needed him to fire the most in the World Cup final led to a sea of criticism and by all means, has shut the doors in his ODI career for now.
However, during the T20Is against Australia right after the World Cup, Surya was back at his dazzling best, scoring 80 in Vizag and following it with a 56 and a breathtaking century against South Africa in Johannesburg showcasing his dazzling touch when it comes to T20I format where he is an absolute master, purely because of the red-hot form he has exuded in his comfort zone of T20 cricket.
Given how he finished the previous year, former England captain now commentator and cricket expert Naseer Hussain has singled out Suryakumar Yadav as the player to watch out for at the T20I World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav absolutely knows what to do in T20I format- Nasser Hussain
Former England captain now commentator and cricket expert Naseer Hussain is excited to see what Suryakumar Yadav can offer in the T20I World Cup to be played in the West Indies and the USA in June, 2024.
SKY has been the No.1 ranked T20I batter for quite some time now. While Suryakumar couldn’t quite crack the ODI format, Hussain feels T20 cricket is tailor-made for the star batter.
Speaking to ICC, here’s what Nasser Hussain had to say about Suryakumar Yadav
“The person for the world to watch out for at the moment in T20 is Suryakumar Yadav. I mean, the bloke is a freak. The cliche of Mr. 360, but some of the shots he plays… and he is a bit of a freak because in fifty-overs cricket, he doesn’t quite know when to go, when not to go, what to do. But in T20 cricket, he absolutely knows what to do every single time almost, and it’s a fun game, T20 cricket and watching SKY, that is absolutely fun,” said Nasser Hussain.
Nasser Hussain predicts T20 World Cup champions
Nasser Hussain has predicted that South Africa will win the T20 World Cup later this year. He has been highly impressed with the way the Proteas played in the 2023 World Cup and feels the SA20 league coupled with the potential return of Anrich Nortje has increased their chances.
On this, he stated:
“I think their (domestic) SA20 competition has really elevated some of their players and they have now got that depth and that class and that talent. I don’t know where he is with his injury at the moment, but someone like Anrich Nortje is what they were missing maybe in those vital games, towards the end of the World Cup,”
He added:
“So I think, maybe, if Nortje can get fit for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and with their dynamic batting line-up, I’m going to look for South Africa,”
The T20I World Cup will return to the Caribbean after 14 years and will be played from June 2 – June 30 and with Suryakumar Yadav in such a great form when it comes to T20I format, India will hope that he recovers soon from the injury he sustained after his magical hundred vs South Africa and lead India’s surge in the title conquest at the Caribbean later this year.