Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel lavished rich praise on batter Suryakumar Yadav for his superlative knock against England in the third T20I at Edgbaston. He rated his knock as best in the Indian T20I history and lauded him for his shot selection.
In a match, where over 400 runs were scored, Suryakumar stole the limelight with his sensational knock of 117 runs which included 6 sixes and 14 fours. Despite his innings coming in the losing cause, the right-hander made everyone present at the ground stand and applaud him.
Chasing the mammoth target of 216 runs, India was in deep trouble after they found themselves tumbling at 31/3. It almost seemed that the visitors would be at the receiving end of hammering but Suryakumar made sure that they fought till the very end.
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Coming to bat at No.4, the right-hander took English bowlers to the cleaners and played some audacious shots. He made a mockery of the field placement and got into great positions to tonk English bowlers all over the park.
Suryakumar scored 117 runs in just 55 balls and his knock included 14 fours and 6 sixes. He also stitched a crucial 119-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer (28) that brought India back into the game.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Parthiv Patel lauded Suryakumar as the 360-degree player, and that said even though both teams made over 200 runs, the match will be known for his innings.
“While both teams made over 200 in this match, this match will be known for his innings. I always believe that if a player can score a six at fine-leg and cover, the bowler does not have many options. If there is someone in the world who can play 360 degrees at the moment, it is Suryakumar Yadav,” Parthiv Patel said.
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Parthiv praised Suryakumar’s shot selection and highlighted that the batter doesn’t even take risks and plays everything with control. He rated his knock as the best in Indian T20I history.
"He does not even take risks. The shot selection is very good, so is the control. He showed this throughout the IPL and has been showing this for Indian cricket as well for a while. This might be the best knock in Indian T20I history, despite coming in a losing cause. It will take a while to see better innings than this," he said.
Suryakumar has also been selected in the ODI squad for the series against England, starting Tuesday (12th July). Being in the red hot form, it is likely that he will get a chance in playing XI.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
