The adulations for Suryakumar Yadav hasn't stopped coming this T20 World Cup. There are enough reasons behind it. In a team studded with superstars, Suryakumar has shone bright with his audacious shot-making. He has set the stage on fire with 225 runs from five games, including three fifties at a staggering strike rate of 193.96. His ability to pull off improbable shots has seen experts and fans comparing him with South African batting great AB de Villiers. However, Surya recently said there can only be one 'Mr 360'.
Now, Ab de Villiers has come up with a hilarious response to Suryakumar being labelled as the new 'Mr 360'. "He is the new 360 but I am still the original. Don't take that nickname away from me. I am very happy for the guy. he has got lot of potential," De Villiers said in a video.
Suryakumar's performances in recent games have led him to gain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men's T20I rankings. In 28 T20I innings this year, Suryakumar has scored 1,026 runs at an average of 44.60. One century and nine half-centuries have come out of his bat, with the best score of 117. These runs have come at a strike rate of 186.24. Suryakumar is the first Indian and only the second player in T20I history to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year. His performance will be closely watch when India face England in the semi-final on Thursday.
During a recent interaction with news agency PTI, when asked if it is the right time to compare Suryakumar with him, de Villiers, one of the most versatile batters in the game, said: "Yes they are. The only thing he will have to concentrate on is his consistency. He will have to do this for 5 to 10 years and then he will find himself in the golden books of cricket players."