Nagpur, Jan 24 (UNI) Former India captain and JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s composed innings in India’s win over New Zealand in the first T20I, highlighting his match awareness and the maturity shown during a crucial partnership with Ishan Kishan.
Speaking on Cricket Live, Gavaskar explained how Suryakumar used the early phase of his innings to “get his eye in” while Kishan attacked from the other end.
“Surya’s innings showed that he was aware of the situation. He was batting on 11 off 11 deliveries. In a partnership of 97, 76 were scored by Ishan Kishan. That also shows the skipper’s maturity,” Gavaskar said.
He noted that with Kishan in full flow, Suryakumar focused on rotating strike and settling in. “There was another man batting so well, so he was giving him more of the strike, as well as getting his eyes in, getting the circulation going in the legs with singles and twos, and therefore getting himself ready for the big push,” he added.
Gavaskar pointed out that Suryakumar took charge after Kishan’s dismissal, underlining the significance of his stroke selection. “After Ishan Kishan got out, he was the one who took the initiative and started hitting the ball. Driving through the offside was a big plus because that means he was looking to play straight as much as possible,” he said.
The former opener described Suryakumar’s unbeaten eighty-plus score as “a fabulous, fabulous innings” and termed it “a big, big boost for the Indian team before the T20 World Cup.”
Gavaskar also highlighted the understanding between Kishan and Suryakumar, forged during their time together at the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. “When you play for a franchise and spend more than two months travelling all around India, you develop a kinship with that person,” he said.
Praising the team environment, Gavaskar added, “It is great to see the team spirit in the squad because that’s what you want in tough situations.”
