Suryakumar Yadav scores 360 degrees around the ground like ‘prime’ AB de Villiers, remarks Ricky Ponting

08/16/2022

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Ricky Ponting has lavished huge praise on Suryakumar Yadav saying the latter has got all the shots in his book similar to South African great AB de Villiers, who used to hit the ball around the ground. Ponting has also suggested Suryakumar should bat at his preferred No. 4 in the next T20 World Cup.

Ever since making his debut against England in March last year, India's batting sensation Suryakumar Yadav has been doing wonders all across the world. The 31-year-old has played 13 ODIs and 23 T20Is thus far, scoring 340 and 672 runs respectively. His records in T20Is is particularly astonishing, averaging 37.33 while maintaining a strike rate of 175.46.

Considering his red-hot form in T20Is, Ricky Ponting lauded Suryakumar for being supremely confident while batting on the field. In fact, Ponting went on comparing him with the legendary South African AB de Villiers. The comparison, although is nothing new as both loves to play all around the ground but getting it from someone like Ponting adds more value in it.

"He's (Suryakumar) quite a confident person. He backs himself and he's never going to step down from a challenge or any situation that arises in a game. I feel he thinks he can win that situation and therefore go on and win the game for his team," Ponting said at the ICC Review.

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"Surya (Yadav) scores 360 degrees around the ground, a bit like an AB de Villiers did when he was in his actual prime. The lap shots, the late cuts, you know, the ramps over the keeper's head. He can hit down the ground. He hits really well over the leg side, flicks to deep backward square particularly well, and he's a good player of fast bowling and is a good player of spin bowling."

Further, when asked where Suryakumar should bat for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia, Ponting replied the stylish Indian batter should walk at the No. 4 position while Virat Kohli should stick to No. 3.

"It's got to be in the top four, I think. I said stick with him (Virat) in his traditional spot, which has been number three. For Surya, it's one, two or four. I think he can open, but I think he's probably, you know if you could probably just keep him away from the new ball, let him control the middle part of the game outside the Powerplay, through in the middle, and if he's in at the end, you know what can happen," Ponting explained.

"I think in the top four is, well, actually I'll go out on a limb: I don’t want him to open. I think number four is his best spot."