Suryakumar Yadav‘s amazing century against SRH in the IPL 2024 match on Monday has caught everyone’s eye. Wayne Parnell‘s comment about Suryakumar Yadav‘s outstanding form adds to the excitement. Wayne Parnell’s early cricketing years were filled with promise. He captained South Africa’s Under-19 team at the 2008 World Cup, showcasing his leadership skills and emerging talent.
Wayne Parnell’s exceptional bowling performance even earned him the title of the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. This success paved the way for his international debut in 2009, representing South Africa in both ODI and T20 formats. In recent years, Parnell has found success in various domestic cricket leagues around the world. He has been a prominent figure in the Indian Premier League (IPL), showcasing his abilities on a global stage. As of now, he isn’t part of the active South African national setup. However, he recently participated in English county cricket for Northamptonshire.
Suryakumar’s journey began in domestic cricket, where he piled on runs for Mumbai in first-class and List-A formats. Despite not securing an immediate national call-up, his talent didn’t go unnoticed. A turning point arrived in IPL 2018 when Mumbai Indians reacquired him. Thriving in a new opening role, Suryakumar amassed over 500 runs and displayed his ability to handle pace bowling from the get-go.
This IPL success propelled Suryakumar into the national spotlight and eventually led to his T20 international debut in 2020. Suryakumar has rapidly become a T20 force. He possesses a unique 360-degree batting style, capable of playing innovative shots all around the wicket. His ability to improvise and adapt to different bowling attacks makes him a bowler’s nightmare. This is evident in his impressive T20I stats, like a batting average exceeding 35 with a high strike rate above 145.
Suryakumar Yadav’s (SKY) IPL 2024 journey has been a rollercoaster ride. He began the season on a high note, scoring freely and even smashing a brilliant century. This aggressive batting reflected in his impressive strike rate of 176.72, proved invaluable for Mumbai Indians early on.
In Suryakumar Yadav’s recent outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) played a pivotal role in securing a crucial victory for Mumbai Indians (MI). SKY smashed a brilliant century (102 runs off 51 balls) against SRH. This dominant innings helped MI chase down a challenging target of 174 with ease.
Suryakumar Yadav against SRH
In a tough and a steep run chase of 174 runs, Mumbai Indians faced a tough situation, losing three wickets for just 31 runs in 4.1 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in the evening against a strong SunRisers Hyderabad pace attack. Suryakumar Yadav stepped up after the early wickets fell and displayed his skill. He started cautiously for a couple of deliveries before attacking Marco Jansen aggressively in the seventh over, hitting two sixes and two fours to boost the team’s momentum.
Suryakumar kept up his excellent form and teamed up with Tilak Varma (37 not out) to form an unbeaten partnership of 143 runs, securing victory for their team in 17.2 overs. The stylish batsman scored his second IPL century with a winning six, hitting the ball high over the extra cover region.
What Wayne Parnell said about Suryakumar Yadav
Following the game, South African left-arm pacer Wayne Parnell praised Suryakumar Yadav’s batting display. He shared his admiration on X stating,
“Has anyone ever done a DNA test on Suryakumar? This guy is DIFFERENT, different,”
I knew that the dew was heavy, and once the seam goes off, it would be easy for a batter to play – Suryakumar Yadav
During the post-match presentation, after receiving the Player of the Match award, Suryakumar Yadav discussed his mindset during the chase, providing insight into his thought process.
“Someone had to play till the end, and that’s what I did. Played for some time – I knew that the dew was heavy, and once the seam goes off, it would be easy for a batter to play. Enjoyed my time.,”
“It’s from the Mumbai School of Arts (his straighter boundaries), I played a lot of first-class cricket for Mumbai, and here at the Wankhede, I know what’s the right option when the ball is seaming. When the ball stopped seaming, I played all my shots which I practiced in the nets. The intent would have been the same had I batted in the first innings, it would have been easier, and I’d have gone big, like how I did today.” he added.
The fans will see SKY in action in the next match where MI will face KKR at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, May 11.