“Suryakumar Yadav is a freak in T20Is”, says Nasser Hussain

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has tipped Suryakumar Yadav as a freak in T20s but feels the right-hander doesn’t know what to do in ODI cricket. While SKY has been consistently performing in the shortest form of the game, he hasn’t been able to yet crack the code for the 50-overs version.

Yadav had recently scored 156 runs in two T20Is against South Africa at an average of 78 and thus once again delivered for the team. The right-hander has scored 2141 runs at an average of 45.55 and a blistering strike rate of 171.55 in 60 T20I matches. But he has managed only 773 runs in 37 ODI matches at a paltry average of 25.77.

Yadav has also consistently performed for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and he is at the numero uno position in the ICC T20I rankings.

“The person for the world to watch out for at the moment in T20 is Suryakumar Yadav,” Hussain was quoted as saying by the ICC.

“I mean, the bloke is a freak. The cliche of Mr. 360, but some of the shots he plays… and he is a bit of a freak because in fifty-overs cricket, he doesn’t quite know when to go, when not to go, what to do.

“But in T20 cricket, he absolutely knows what to do every single time almost, and it’s a fun game, T20 cricket and watching SKY, that is absolutely fun,” Hussain added.

While predicting the winner of the T20 World Cup, Hussain backed South Africa to win their maiden ICC title. The renowned commentator has predicted that the Proteas will meet reigning champions England in the summit clash.

“I haven’t thought too much about this actually… but I’m going to go with South Africa.

“England are (reigning) champions, but not playing particularly well at the moment. It’s in the Caribbean and West Indies are going OK, then you have Pakistan, so can I choose all of these sides?” South Africa put some record-breaking performances in the World Cup last year before they lost to eventual champions Australia in the semifinals.

“I’m going to go for South Africa versus England in the final.” “I’m following (fellow commentator) Simon Doull a little bit here. Before the (50-over) World Cup, he tipped them to win it and it was a little bit left field. I mean, it’s still South Africa, one of the great cricketing nations, sporting nations, but I thought that was a good shout from Doully. And they played some brilliant cricket in that World Cup.” Hussain feels Cricket South Africa’s T20 league — the SA20, which was launched last year — has benefitted the national team.

“I think their (domestic) SA20 competition has really elevated some of their players and they have now got that depth and that class and that talent.

The T20 World Cup 2024 will be played in the USA and the West Indies in June.