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How Does Suryakumar Yadav Bat 360 Degree? His Mentor Decodes After Second T20I Hundred

Suryakumar Yadav slammed his second T20I hundred for India against New Zealand on Sunday at the Bay Oval, His mentor Vinayak Mane decodes Suryakumar's batting.

Suryakumar Yadav

Bengaluru, November 20: Suryakumar Yadav is the hottest property in the T20 circuit at the moment, crunching runs for fun and in some style.

Suryakumar Yadav raised his stocks sky-high on Sunday (November 20) when he made his second T20I hundred against New Zealand at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, to hand hold India to a big total.

The India middle-order batter hammered a 51-ball 111 with 11 fours and 7 sixes with the gusto that has made him a priceless presence in the line-up.

Fans and pundits from across the globe has showered SKY for his magnificent hitting, but one man at the distant Mumbai has not surprised one bit.

Vinayak Mane, the former Mumbai opener, knows Suryakumar for a long time now, and often plays a mentor role to him. Their association started when Suryakumar played for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited under Mane as a 18-year-old.

Mane had also put a comforting arm around Suryakumar when he was left in the lurch after an ugly spat with the Mumbai Cricket Association in the 2014-15 season. Now, Mane oversees Suryakumar’s preparation whenever he was in Mumbai and is in need of a few knock arounds at the Parsee Gymkhana.

“The way he bats…amazing, isn’t? Surya has always been a gutsy and smart batsman. He always want to score runs, and looks for ways to score runs. He comes to Gymkhana and we give all the facilities there, a fast pitch, variety of bowlers. He had come and trained at the Gymkhana even going before the World Cup in Australia,” Mane told MyKhel.

The one feature of Suryakumar’s batting is the effortlessness with which he scores off the pace bowlers. At the Bay Oval, Suryakumar played that trademark pick-up shot off Lockie Ferguson that sailed over fine leg for a six.

Perhaps, no one in present day cricket play that shot as smoothly and convincingly as Suryakumar. Has it been a feature of Suryakumar’s batting from the early days?

“As I said, Suryakumar is a very intelligent batsman. He can understand the mindset of bowlers and measure the ground lengths very quickly. He plays that scoop off pacers very nicely and I think he has always played that shot and perfected it with relentless training.

Now, he has added several more shots to his batting like that pick-up shot that you’d mentioned, the sweep off pacers, the ramp shot, etc but along with these innovative shots, Surya also plays those conventional shots very well — drives through the cover and down the ground. Now, he has several options against all the bowlers, especially against those with extreme pace,” says Mane.

Relentless training! The hours that Suryakumar has put in to his batting at the Parsee Gymkhana is now getting reflected in his game. “He loves to bat. Whenever he comes to Gymkhana he bats for a good couple of hours, and enjoys it very much. But I think, the Indian team management too deserves a lot of credit for supporting Surya.

“I think, they have given him this role clarity and now he bats regularly at No 4. (Though Suryakumar made his hundred on Sunday against the Kiwis while coming at No 3), and that stability, I think, has helped him. The management, I think, has asked him to bat freely and express himself on the field. Suryakumar also cares for his fitness, so I think he will be a part of India set up for some time to come now,” said Mane.

The other angle of Suryakumar’s batting, or even his personality, is the calmness surrounds him. Was he this cool from the beginning, and if not what has sparked that change inside of him?

“Suryakumar, as I said, is a gutsy person right from the time I met him for the first time. Then all that Mumbai captaincy episode happened and I think that changed him a bit as in he became more determined to shape his career in the right direction and achieve the goals that he had set for himself. But I think, Suryakumar has always had this self-belief in him that he can achieve bigger things,” says Mane.

The story of Suryakumar will not be completed without a mention about his connect with the Parsee Gymkhana. “Oh yes! He loves to play for Gymkhana and comes often there whenever he does not have India commitments and trains as well. We have other Mumbai players like Aditya Tare and Avishkar Salvi there in the Gymkhana and Suryakumar ensures that he does not miss a chance to come to the Gymkhana.

“We had welcomed him to the Gymkhana after that Mumbai captaincy saga and he has remained loyal to the club ever since. I think that is the biggest part of his character, he has not forgotten the roots and remains a part of his old club. It is wonderful,” says Mane.

Story first published: Sunday, November 20, 2022, 15:10 [IST]
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