The best batsman of the show in the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav, may call the mounting comparisons with AB de Villiers premature, but the original ‘Mr 360 Degrees’ South African finds him quite fair. Surya has set the World Cup on fire by scoring 225 runs in five matches including three fifties at a strike rate of 193.97. He has stunned experts and fans alike with his incredible range of strokes. The 32-year-old, who has been a late entrant to international cricket, has taken the batting ridiculously easy even in the toughest of conditions, like India’s experience against South Africa in Perth.
#watch , I think India will play New Zealand in the final and India will win the World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli are in excellent form. Entire India team is extremely talented: Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers pic.twitter.com/83tRjI0Fl2— ANI (@ANI) 8 November 2022
Amidst the constant buzz of his ABD-like playing style, Suriya recently said that there can only be one ‘Mr 360’, but de Villiers himself begged. “I am very happy for Suriya. I think he has come a long way. I have never seen this happen, the way he is playing. He was very conservative and stuck to his game plans initially But now he is setting the stage and the foundation and then starting to dominate the bowlers. It is great to see and he has a bright future ahead of him.
Asked if this is the right time to compare Suriya with him, de Villiers, one of the most versatile batsmen in the game, said: “Yes, he is. The only thing he has to pay attention to is his consistency. He will have to do this for 5 to 10 years and then he will find himself in the golden books of cricket players. Playing a few outrageous strokes around the park, de Villiers left the word of cricket in awe. But has he been impressed by Suriya’s game? “Any player who comes into form… I think of some people who really start playing at the peak of their powers, which makes me very exciting. Every player for that matter. Watching this It’s beautiful when they’re really free and having fun out there. It’s great to see Suriya playing the way he is now,” said the 38-year-old, who has retired from all forms of cricket in 2021. Took retirement.
‘Four best teams in T20 World Cup semi-finals but need more matches’
India, England, New Zealand and Pakistan have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Australia. The tournament has seen many ups and downs, making it one of the most unpredictable ICC events in recent times. Twelve teams, including four from the preliminary qualifying round, formed the Super 12 stage, with the sides divided into two groups of six. The teams played five matches in the league stage and this number is not enough for de Villiers.
“I think the top four teams in the world are in the semi-finals of the World Cup. I think there should be more games. Not enough games. If you have 10 teams, you play nine games and you get the top four and then you have a system like IPL playoffs where one plays two, three plays four and if one or two loses they play three more. Play the winner of four. For me it is a fair arrangement. 99 per cent of the times you will get the best team winning the tournament,” he said. On his future, de Villiers said he has no long-term plans. “I haven’t decided anything yet. Take it easy this year and we’ll see what happens in the future.