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'AB was better than Surya': Harshal Patel fires first shot ahead of RCB vs MI IPL 2023 blockbuster
Harshal Patel didn't mince his words as he talked about Suryakumar Yadav and AB de Villiers ahead of the RCB vs MI clash on Sunday.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore will begin their 2023 Indian Premier League campaign against Mumbai Indians on Sunday night, but the mind games seem to have begun ahead of the clash. Harshal Patel, RCB's star pacer, made a rather interesting remark about Mumbai Indians star Suryakumar Yadav as he namedropped AB de Villiers, the legendary former RCB batter. Suryakumar is often compared with AB due to the former's explosive hitting, and his incredible ability to hit 360 degrees across the ground.
As Harshal talked about the plan of action against someone of the calibre of Suryakumar Yadav, the pacer stated that it's “not the first time” when he had this problem, referring to his former teammate de Villiers.
"Someone of Surya's calibre, who's in the kind of form that he is in, all you can bank on is your planning and execution. What he does after that is up to him. This is not the first time I have encountered this problem. AB was one step better than Surya, in the sense that he would make you bowl where he wanted,” Harshal told ESPNCricinfo.
"Surya will sweep you from almost outside the pitch on off stump. Another ability he has is to take the ball on his body all the time. It's one thing to take the ball on your body and play in front of square but if you are trying to play behind square and if it comes out a little slower or a little faster, it's going to hit you. And you have to be okay with that. I don't think many players are,” the India star added.
Suryakumar Yadav is currently the no.1 batter in the shortest format of the game, and expected to play a key role for Mumbai Indians as they eye a rejuvenation in the 2023 season. MI had finished at the bottom of the table in 2022 with only four wins in 14 matches. RCB, meanwhile, will look to end the long wait for a title; they lost in the playoffs last year.
