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Suryakumar Yadav's batting and personality have a ton of nonchalance. He walks out chewing gum, smacks bowlers to all corners of the ground and then walks off chewing gum, soaking the applause from a thoroughly entertained crowd. On November 06 (Sunday), the swashbuckling right-handed batter put on a show for 82,000-odd people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It was just another day at the office for Mumbai Indians' batter. He came, he saw and he conquered, and when he walked off the field after depositing the last ball of India's innings for an outrageous six over the fine-leg fence, the onlookers had only one question in their minds - how does he do it?
Well, Suryakumar's skillset is unrivaled and as India gets ready for the knockouts, the Men in Blue along with over a billion fans are hoping for the right-hander batter to continue his sensational display. Against Zimbabwe, Suryakumar played a stunning knock of 61 runs in just 25 balls.
India head coach Rahul Dravid believes that the 32-year-old is staging a spectacle every time he is on the 22 yards.
"I think he has been absolutely phenomenal for us. He is just a joy to watch. It's a pleasure to watch him bat when he's in that kind of form. Every time, it's like he puts on a show, without a doubt," said Dravid after India beat Zimbabwe by 71 runs here on Sunday to confirm a semi-final date with England in the T20 World Cup.
"Yeah, it's incredible. That's why he is the No. 1 T20 player in the world at the moment," said the head coach about the magnificent knock.
With 225 runs, he is the second highest scorer in the Indian team in this competition.
Only Virat Kohli (246) has scored more than him, but, at 193.96, Surya's strike rate has been absolutely jaw-dropping.
"It's not easy to be consistent with the kind of strike rate he's going at. So, it's just fantastic the way he's playing. I think he's been very clear in his processes. He's very clear about his tactics," said the coach, who in his playing days was known for his immaculate technique and copybook strokes.
But if you think there has been no method to his madness, then you are wrong. Suryakumar has reached the top after incredible hard work and sacrifices.
"I think he's (Surya) worked very hard. I think one of the things about Surya is just the amount of hard work that he's put in in the nets, in thinking about his game, his fitness," he continued.
The work on fitness had helped Kohli hit his peak few years ago and that is happening with Surya in the shortest format.
"If I look at Surya from a couple of years ago, just to see how he takes care of his body and the amount of time he spends on his fitness, I think he's just really earning the reward for a lot of the hard work that he's put in on and off the field, and long may it continue," the smiling coach didn't want to jinx this form.
Ravichandran Ashwin is an articulate man, and when he gives a lowdown on what Surya's knocks mean to the team, one has to sit back and listen.
"The way Surya is batting, it is wonderful (to watch). Free spirited, free will and he ain't a spring chicken but he is at a pretty early stage in his international career where he is able to express himself.
"The shots that he is playing, he is correctly complementing a lot of other batters in the team," Ashwin, who also had a good game against Zimbabwe said during an interaction in mixed zone.
(With PTI inputs)
