Star India batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently with the Indian team in Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, celebrated his 33rd birthday on Thursday. Suryakumar is yet to play a game in the tournament, but could feature in the final Super 4 encounter against Bangladesh as India have already qualified for the tournament. On the eve of the match, Suryakumar caught up with Pakistani actor Momin Saqib, who went viral after his "maaro mujhe maaro" gimmick during the ODI World Cup in 2019.
Saqib, whose love for cricket is a secret to none, has become an internet sensation. His social media shenanigans have earned him lead roles in a few Pakistani TV dramas. He also hosts a television talk show in Pakistan.
In a video shared on social media, Saqib can be heard praising Suryakumar for adding a new dimension to batting with his innovative stroke-making.
"The current day and age of cricket requires innovation and sky is indeed one of the finest in the game! See you in the final. I always appreciate the love and respect I get from the Indian players," Saqib captioned a post on social media platform X (Twitter).
Since making his India debut in 2020, Suryakumar has taken T20I by storm, and is currently the top ranked batter in the ICC rankings.
However, he is yet to crack the code in One-Day Internationals. While he average 46 in T20Is, Suryakumar has scored just 504 runs in 26 ODIs, averageing below 25.
With India set to take on Bangladesh in a dead-rubber, Suryakumar could get an opportunity to push his case for a place in the playing XI at the upcoming World Cup.