Since making his debut for India last, Suryakumar Yadav's stocks have risen dramatically. In T20 cricket, the middle-order batter is being seen by many as the "finest batter in the world" when it comes to the shortest format. It isn't just in India that Surya has earned praise from fans but from across the border as well. Even veteran Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Malik, praised Surya for the variety of shots he hits and how he plays with the brain of the mind of the bowler bowling to him.
Speaking on A Sports, Pakistan cricket greats lke Shoaib Malik and Wasim Akram discussed how Suryakumar uses pace and bounce from the bowler to execute scoop and lap shots to perfection.
"The shot he plays, where he hits behind...his technique is so good that even if he doesn't get that elevation, he still manages to execute the shot)," he said.
"SKY is something different, isn't he? These are the kind of shots youngsters should learn),"Wasim Akram said and Malik responded saying: "Absolutely they can learn if they are willing to. They have to have a goal to achieve something. They also have to put in the hard work to do so.
He plays with the bowler's mind as well, contemplating if he scores on short balls, maybe the bowler will bowl fuller. It is very important for middle-order batters to play with the mind of the bowlers," Malik further added.
Malik expected Surya to have a tough outing in Perth but the 32-year-old excelled with the bat, scoring 68 runs off 40 balls to help the Indian team put 133 runs on the board. South Africa, however, chased down the target, with Aiden Markram and David Miller scoring half-centuries.