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Youngsters are going to try to emulate Suryakumar Yadav, says Ricky Ponting

Australian legend Ricky Ponting feels Suryakumar Yadav is right at the top there when it comes to innovative batting in T20 cricket, in company of the likes of AB de Villiers and Adam Gilchrist.

By Mykhel Staff
Suryakumar Yadav


Australia's legendary batter Ricky Ponting said he hasn't seen a more skilled and innovative batter than Suryakumar Yadav, who he feels is going to inspire youngsters to play his brand of 360-degree cricket.

Suryakumar recently was honoured with ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the year 2022 following a splendid season when he scored 1000-plus international runs in the format.

"I think innovation-wise, skill-wise, I haven't seen a better player (than Suryakumar) in the game," Ponting told ICC on Friday.

"What it's going to do as well, a lot of other players are going to try and do the things he's doing and it's going to add another level of skill to the T20 game all around the world.

"Someone said during the IPL this year (2022), there are going to be guys who are going to try and do exactly the same as what Surya's doing, and that's going to be great for the game," added the Australian great.

Surya amassed runs at a strong strike rate of 187.43 while averaging above 46, putting him at the top of the T20 batting ranking as well.

Suryakumar Yadav, the greatest innovator ever

Ricky Ponting

Ponting also called the Indian cricketer the greatest innovator in the shortest version, comparing his style of batting with South African white-ball specialist AB de Villiers and former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.

"He's probably doing it better than anyone's ever done it right now. We talk about players that can score 360 degrees ... some of the shots he's hitting back behind the wicket-keeper and over fine leg are just remarkable." Ponting said he noticed Surya's innate talent a few years back in the IPL where he was making flicking the ball over deep-backward square look so easy.

The former skipper added that the batter has taken his stroke-play to another level and is playing some really audacious shots like flicking short balls for sixes over the wicket-keeper's head.

"Five or six years ago, he started doing that (innovating) a lot in the IPL. He was very good at flicking the ball over deep-backward square and getting the ball over fine-leg," Ponting said.

"Surya's now been able to hit short balls on the way up and flick short balls over the keeper's head and they're going for six, not just for four." Ponting said that initially he thought Suryakumar would never touch such heights, but his work ethics and strenuous regimen have resulted in his success.

The cricketer scored the third-most runs at the T20 World Cup - 239 - in Australia, which was only behind Virat Kohli (296) and the Dutchman Max O'Dowd (242).

He then continued the good work in the T20I series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to climb to the second-highest T20 batting rating ever recorded - 908 points.

"I didn't think he'd get to the level he's got to, to be quite honest," Ponting said.

"He's worked as hard as he has - you can probably tell by his body shape. He's probably fitter than he's ever been, being around the Indian set up with the likes of Kohli and Shreyas Iyer and these guys, who are exceptionally fit young guys."

With inputs from PTI

Story first published: Friday, January 27, 2023, 21:05 [IST]
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