T20 World Cup 2022: Suryakumar Yadav is a THREAT with ‘access shots’ and ‘innovation’, says THIS Pakistan coach

Suryakumar Yadav became the first batter to score over 1,000 runs in T20I in a calendar year and the Indian batter is not done yet as he gets ready face Jos Buttler’s England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022.

Suryakumar Yadav. (Photo: ANI)

Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav has been a revelation in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022. Not only has he replaced Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan as the No. 1 T20I batter in the ICC ranking, he has maintained a strike-rate of over 193 while scoring 225 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 so far.

Suryakumar became the first batter to score over 1,000 runs in T20I in a calendar year and the Indian batter is not done yet as he gets ready face Jos Buttler’s England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022. Former Australia opener and Pakistan batting coach Matthew Hayden believes T20 cricket is not always about power and subcontinental players such as Suryakumar Yadav demonstrated that they can pose a threat with ‘access shots’ and ‘innovation’.

The power-hitters from teams such as Australia, England and West Indies have dominated the shortest format but Hayden gave the example of the rampaging Suryakumar to drive his point that it is more about finding a tricky balance. “The power game in T20 cricket is still being explored because there is a mixture,” the former Australian opener and current Pakistan team mentor said ahead of Wednesday’s T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal against New Zealand.

“I think the subcontinental players, when you look at the tournament so far, guys like Suryakumar Yadav who are playing beautifully through that middle to late stage, with a competency of all areas of the ground, with access shots, innovation, they become threats,” Hayden added.

Suryakumar has gone past 1000 runs in T20 Internationals in 2022. On Sunday, the 32-year-old mesmerized an 82,000-strong MCG crowd with his strokes, some of them outrageous. His unbeaten 61-run knock off just 25 balls set up India's big win over Zimbabwe.

“So it’s not always about the power. And as I said, I think as cricketers, we’re all trying to come to grips with when is the power, when does that foot go down on the floor, when does it decelerate and look to preserve. And a lot of the matches have been very close matches. And the tricky balance between preservation of wickets versus exploration of innovation have been really why I think a lot of the sides that are here now in this tournament are still here.

“Australia is a great case of that. Power to burn but hasn’t been able to handle the new ball. And it's let itself be vulnerable through the middle of the order.”

The SKY has been blue for Team India in ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 2022, but not so much for the others! _

Does #SuryakumarYadav's _ batting make you #BelieveInBlue to end the wait?@surya_14kumar | #INDvENG | Thursday, 12 PM | Star Sports & Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/MXvxilgF2D — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 8, 2022

Defending champions Australia failed to reach the knockout stage after finishing third in their super 12 Group 1 with seven points as England sealed the semifinals owing to a better net run-rate. Hayden, who was part of the 2003 ODI World Cup-winning team, said Australia didn’t get things right in their preparation for the T20 showpiece and will have to take some bold decisions ahead of next year’s 50-over World Cup.

“The Australian team has some thinking to do. There has to be some freshness... There has to be planning heading towards World Cups. They’re the premium events. They’re the events that everyone across the world plans for, and Australia, unfortunately, just didn’t get it right. We all know the Australian cricket team, the culture of Australian cricket has been challenged over the last four or five years. There has to be some improvements in the departments, especially I think their fast bowling attack,” Hayden said.

(with PTI inputs)