Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan showered praise on Suryakumar Yadav after the Men in Blue secured a comprehensive seven-wicket win against Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, in the ongoing Asia Cup on Sunday.
Chasing a below-par target of 128, SKY scored a fine knock of 47 runs off just 37 balls with the help of five fours and one six. Pathan highlighted that the Indian captain wasn’t in great form in T20Is in 2025 but he was able to deliver when it mattered the most.
Yadav could only manage 28 runs in five T20Is against England at an average of 5.60 and a strike rate of 116.66 and thus failed to lead from the front.
However, Yadav scored 717 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2025 at an average of 65.18 and a strike rate of 167.91 and thus played a key role in taking Mumbai Indians to the playoffs.
Irfan Pathan said on Sony Sports, “Two things happened. He came to bat at No. 3 in the last match. You have Tilak Varma with you, but you came. You wanted game time as well. He hadn’t scored too many runs in T20Is this year. He was searching for runs. He is a player who doesn’t stay far from runs for long,” he responded.
“Based on his standards, it had been a lean year for him in international cricket. It was very good in the IPL. Now, the form he has shown after coming to the Asia Cup and the way the ball is coming onto his bat, it seems like the old Surya, the T20 cricket champion we have seen for years, is being seen,” Pathan observed.
Meanwhile, former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja highlighted that SKY has a potent game behind the square leg region.
“He hits only in the sky. Even today, he tried to hit the first ball as soon as he came. He should patent the area behind square leg. Someone has given it the name ‘Supla’ shot. He has redescribed the dictionary of cricket,” he said.
Jadeja praised Yadav for keeping his calm in the middle and for finishing the game in style.
“The calmness you expect from a captain was seen today, and the impact he left before leaving makes a difference. You might win or lose, but the last ball remains in your memory. He was playing steadily till then, but when it came into his radar, the way he finished was an ideal finish to the game,” Jadeja observed.
India will next take on Oman at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Friday.
