Suryakumar Yadav has been enjoying imperious form at the T20 World Cup 2022, dishing out opposition bowlers at every corner of the park. The middle-order batter has a soaring strike-rate of over 190, and have surely entertained fans with his stylish and 360 degree approach. Leaving an impact in almost every match, the batter has so far mustered 225 runs from five outings, which also include three fifty-plus scores. [FOLLOW: Pakistan vs New Zealand, T20 World Cup semifinal LIVE score]
The batter has left many in awe with his elegant shot selection, defying physics and yet making it look simple. One such incident was witnessed during India's final Super 12 encounter against Zimbabwe, where Suryakumar shuffled across the crease to send the ball outside the off stick over the backward square leg fence. It was just one of his many such shots played at the World Cup, and sharing his thoughts on Suryakumar's approach, captain Rohit Sharma credited his fresh mindset.
"I think he's the sort of guy who just doesn't carry any baggage with him -- not his suitcase. He's got a lot of suitcases, honestly speaking. He loves his shopping. But when it comes to carrying the extra pressure, extra baggage, I don't think he has that in him. You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that.
{{/usCountry}}"I think he's the sort of guy who just doesn't carry any baggage with him -- not his suitcase. He's got a lot of suitcases, honestly speaking. He loves his shopping. But when it comes to carrying the extra pressure, extra baggage, I don't think he has that in him. You can see that when he plays. It's not like he's played a couple of tournaments like that. He's been playing like that for a year now, and you can judge the kind of character he is, and he likes to play like that.
{{/usCountry}}“I don't know if you've heard him talk in interviews; he likes to bat in a similar fashion whether we are 10 for 2 or 100 for 2. He likes to go out and express himself, and that's probably the reason he was in the team in the last World Cup,” the captain said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Rohit, just as the fans, has been mighty impressed with his fellow Mumbai Indians teammate. Pinpointing the positives he brings to the side, Rohit also shared how Suryakumar loves playing in big grounds.
"Although we didn't have a great World Cup, but looking at what he's done in the entire year from that World Cup onwards, as we say the sky's the limit for him. But yeah, he's shown great maturity, as well, has taken pressure from a lot of the guys the way he plays, and it rubs off on the other side, as well, when they bat around him.
“He understands he likes playing on the big ground. He hates playing on small grounds. As he told me once, he doesn't like the smaller boundaries, smaller grounds. He can't see the gaps. I believe that he likes to see big gaps, and that's where his strength is,” the skipper said.
Suryakumar will be a key player going into the semifinal against England, which is scheduled to be played in Adelaide on Thursday.