Sanjay Manjrekar hails Suryakumar Yadav’s incredible growth as T20 batter

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar has heaped praise on India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. SKY made his T20I debut against England in 2021 and got off the mark with a six against Jofra Archer in his maiden T20I innings, which was his second match. 

Manjrekar recalled that Yadav had only two shots in his arsenal when he burst on to the scene for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. However, he now has every shot in the book and he is widely known for his 360-degree game.

SKY, 34, has amassed 2596 runs in 81 T20Is at an impressive average of 39.33 and a blistering strike rate of 167.7. The right-hander has also performed consistently for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

Speaking on Star Sports (Deep Point), Sanjay Manjrekar said, “This has taken a lot of time; it didn’t happen in just two years. He used to play for KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders), and I remember he had just two shots. Predictably, he would play the flick shot on the first ball of the innings, no matter where it landed.

“The growth of Suryakumar Yadav is incredible. Who would have predicted, when he was playing lower down the order for KKR, that he would go on to become the best T20I batter in the world?” he added.

On the other hand, former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar also shed light on Suryakumar Yadav’s batting approach in the shortest format of the game.

“The method to this madness is proactiveness. It takes a lot of imagination, courage, and the ability to anticipate where the ball is coming from before it’s even bowled-that’s his hallmark.

“During the Asia Cup, we analyzed how, when bowlers try to adjust their deliveries after Surya gets into position, he still has another option to punish them. That’s his special ability. There are many players who can hit across 360 degrees, but his ability to abandon his plan and react to a delivery is amazing,” the former India batting all-rounder added.

Yadav has managed only 26 runs in three T20Is against England in the ongoing series, and he would look to turn his form in the penultimate match.