Suryakumar smashed 51 runs off 36 deliveries in the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Pune on Thursday, January 5. However, his knock went in vain as the Men in Blue lost the game by 16 runs while chasing a mammoth 207-run target.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan was asked whether Suryakumar Yadav is almost at par with Jos Buttler, to which he responded:
The former Indian all-rounder believes India’s Mr. 360 possesses a wider range of shots in his arsenal, although he might be less powerful than Buttler and AB de Villiers, elaborating:
Suryakumar struck three fours and as many sixes in his 51-run knock. He strung together a 91-run sixth-wicket partnership with Axar Patel (65 off 31) but could not take his team across the finish line.
“You won’t get a batter like him to play in the middle overs” - Irfan Pathan on Suryakumar Yadav
Pathan feels Suryakumar’s game is best suited to the middle overs, saying:
The cricketer-turned-commentator concluded by stating that the Mumbai Indians (MI) player should bat at No. 4 for India, reasoning:
Suryakumar has played 24 of his 42 T20I innings at No. 4. The right-handed batter has smashed 893 runs at an excellent average of 47.00 and an outstanding strike rate of 183.74 at the position.
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