'Kohli, Rohit are there but my favourite is...': Akram names 'dangerous' India batter who can hurt Pakistan in Asia Cup

Ahead of the blockbuster tie, former Pakistan captain and legendary pacer Wasim Akram was asked to pick a player from the Indian team that can really hurt Pakistan. And while Rohit, Kohli and Rahul were obvious choices, Akram named India's 31-year-old batter as 'one of his favourite players'

India will be back to playing a full-strength squad when it begins its Asia Cup 2022 campaign, with the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja back in the mix after skipping the tour of Zimbabwe, and in Virat's case, the West Indies. India play Pakistan in the series opener in the mother of all battles – the first time since the T20 World Cup last year in Dubai – on Sunday, and Rohit and Co. would be hoping that the return of India's megastars will aid them in evening the odds against Babar Azam's unit.

Not Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, Wasim Akram has picked a totally different India batter and called him as one of his favourites.  (Getty Images)

Ahead of the blockbuster tie, former Pakistan captain and legendary pacer Wasim Akram was asked to pick a player from the Indian team that can really hurt Pakistan. And while Rohit, Kohli and KL Rahul were obvious choices, Akram named Suryakumar Yadav as 'one of his favourite players' from the current era. Suryakumar made his India debut in March 2021 and has since gone on to become an indispensable part of the Indian batting order. Akram, who had worked with Suryakumar back at the Kolkata Knight Riders back in the day, recalled his memories of SKY, explaining how some of the shots he played had left him speechless.

"Of course, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are there, but one of my favourite players these days, in this shorter format is Suryakumar Yadav. He has been phenomenal. I saw him the first year when he had joined the Kolkata Knight Riders and he played a couple of games batting at No. 7 and 8. And a couple of shots he played – the one that he picks from the middle of his bat towards fine leg – that’s an unusual and difficult shot to muster," said in a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2022.

In 23 T20Is, Suryakumar has scored 672 runs at an average of 37.33 with five half-centuries and a very recent hundred – 117 in a closely-fought match against England at The Oval. He was made to open the innings with Rohit against the West Indies, where he put up scores of 11, 76 and 24, and although the chances of Suryakumar opening in the Asia Cup are less, Akram reckons by batting at No. 4, the guy can inflict some serious damage on noy just Pakistan but on the rest of the sides as well.

"And since he has made it to the Indian squad, he has been a treat to watch. I think he is a very dangerous player against either spin or fast bowlers once he sets in and he is actually 360-degree player who can play either this side, that side… the lap shot, towards cow corner, equally good against spinners," added Akram.