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India's 1983 World Cup hero and former skipper Kapil Dev was effusive in his praise for the flamboyant batter Suryakumar Yadav when he said players like him come once in a century.
Suryakumar pummelled a lightning 112 in just 51 balls to power India to an emphatic 91-run victory in the third T20I and ultimately win the series for the Men in Blue. With this he also recorded his third century in the shortest format of the game.
The legendary India cricketer was at loss for words while describing Suryakumar's knock and said that his striking range has made life difficult for the bowlers.
“There are times when you are lost for words on how to describe this," Kapil told ABP News.
“When you watch Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, you think whether there will be a player who can convince you that he’s at the same level as these. There’s abundance of talent in India. And the kind of cricket he plays, especially the lap shot over fine leg. What does a bowler do then? They are afraid of bowling him full - he can hit you over mid-on, can flick you for a six. It becomes difficult for a bowler. He consistently keeps on picking line and length. He’s toying with the bowlers," he further added.
Former star India all-rounder also compared Suryakumar to the greats of cricket Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting and said that only few players can strike the ball as cleanly as the 32-year-old.
“It’s rare to see someone strike this way. I have seen amazing players like AB de Villiers, Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting but few can hit the ball as cleanly as Suryakumar. Hats off to him!" said Kapil Dev.
“Suryakumar Yadav is playing with the mindset of the players. In tennis, you try to predict whether the service will land to your right or left. He can judge early where the bowler is about to land. Few players have this god-gifted ability to play like this. It’s not easy. Players like him come once in a century," he concluded.
Suryakumar will look to replicate his T20I form to three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which is slated to start from Tuesday (January 10).
