Former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting, in the latest episode of ICC Review, covered many aspects of the upcoming Asia Cup which will be closely followed by the World Cup.
In the review, he predicted the winner of the biggest cricketing rivalry, India-Pakistan. He also talked about the squad selection of India for the Asia Cup. Specifically, he talked about Mohammed Shami missing out to make it to the squad.
Talking about Suryakumar Yadav, Ponting claimed that Surya should bat at No. 4 in the Indian Batting line-up. He also praised the emerging player and compared him with South African Legend AB de Villiers (popularly called Mr. 360, for his variety of shots).
The first ball Yadav faced in international cricket was as good a sign as any of his skill and bravado when, with a swift swivel, he pulled a Jofra Archer short ball aimed at his head for six.
Still, like with any raw talent, longevity is the best indicator of a truly world-class player. And Yadav followed his promising start with breathtaking performances in the next year-and-a-half to kickstart his time in the Indian jersey on a fine note.
Twenty-three matches into his T20I career, Yadav now sits at No.2 in the ICC T20 Batter Rankings, behind Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, and has a strike rate of 175.45 which is the best for any player to bat as many times as he in T20I history.
However, with India’s batting line-up bursting with incredible talent, there’s no guaranteeing anyone’s place in the XI with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup coming up in two months. Yadav has his backers, though.
Ponting has seen Yadav up close in his early years in Mumbai during the IPL and feels the Indian middle-order batter should be locked into India’s XI at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later this year.
Ricky Ponting Lavishes Praise On Suryakumar Yadav
“He’s a very, very exciting player and I’m sure someone that’s going to find himself in their team, not just their squad,” Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review.
“I think you’d find him in their team for the T20 World Cup. And if he’s in that team, then I think all the fans in Australia are going to see a very, very good player. He’s quite a confident person. He backs himself and he’s never going to step down from a challenge or any situation that arises in a game. I feel he thinks he can win that situation and therefore go on and win the game for his team.”