IND VS NZ: Jimmy Neesham Heaps Praise on Suryakumar Yadav

IND VS NZ: Suryakumar Yadav has been ruling the T20 batting arena for quite some time. After making his India debut at the age of 30, he has been close to unstoppable in the middle order. Since hitting Jofra Archer over fine-leg off his first international delivery, SKY has come a long way to become India’s Mr Dependable. He has redefined T20 batting in the past two years with an astonishing combo of consistency and quick scoring. The Mumbai batter is currently ranked number one in ICC’s T20I batting rankings.

Suryakumar continued his brilliant run of form in the series against New Zealand. With his team precariously placed at 11/2, he revived the innings before perishing against Ish Sodhi. He hit six fours and two sixes en route to a 34-ball 47. His strokeplay against spin was particularly impressive on a turning track. India eventually fell short by 21 runs despite his and Washington Sundar’s efforts. However, Suryakumar’s skilful innings earned the praise of Jimmy Neesham who hailed him as the best T20 batter in the world currently.

IND VS NZ: Jimmy Neesham in Awe of SKY

According to Neesham, his New Zealand teammate Trent Boult too believes the SKY is the best batter he has ever bowled to. Neesham talked about his days in the Mumbai Indians camp. It was then that Boult proclaimed SKY as the best batter around. Neesham added that it was a very big statement considering how the Mumbai side was filled with superstars like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard. He also talked about his century against the Kiwis at Mt Maunganui. “The best piece of power-hitting I have seen,” the all-rounder said. He also hailed the 360-degree batting of SKY and compared it with that of AB de Villiers.

Since 2022, Suryakumar has 1381 runs in 35 matches at an average of close to 50. His career strike rate stands at 178.76 while his average is 46.42. It is indeed commendable how he maintains such a high average without compromising on the scoring rate. Not only is his strike rate better than that of anyone else but he has also hit the most number of sixes and fours in the last year. Add to that his three hundred and you know why he is so highly rated in the T20 circuit.