England hammered India by 10 wickets in the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal on Thursday to set up the final date with Pakistan on Sunday. England's skipper Jos Buttler struck 80 off 49 which was coupled with Alex Hales' 86 off 47 to make the light work of India's 169-run target with 24 balls spare. Despite beating India, Buttler in awe of Men in Blue's explosive batter Suryakumar Yadav. Buttler named star Indian batter Suryakumar his T20 World Cup's 'Player of the Tournament and said that he played with extreme freedom and was incredibly eye-catching in a star-studded line-up.
Suryakumar is the third-leading run-scorer in the tournament so far. In six innings, he has scored 239 runs at an average of 59.75 and a strike rate of 189.68, including three half-centuries. Suryakumar Yadav was the backbone of the Indian batting attack at the T20 World Cup. He played the finisher’s role well, batting in the middle order.
Buttler said Suryakumar made a massive impact on India in the T20 World Cup with his consistency clubbed with a more than healthy strike rate.
Ahead of the England versus Pakistan final, Sanjana Ganesan asked England skipper about his pick for the Player of the Tournament.
"I think Suryakumar Yadav," Buttler told ICC.
"I think Suryakumar Yadav, for me, has been someone who's played with extreme freedom. He's been incredibly eye-catching to watch in such a star-studded line-up. To stand out the way he has is amazing.
Buttler also highlighted the role of two England players who stood out in the tournament and didn't forget to mention that they had another opportunity to be strong contenders for the award.
"Of course, there's a couple of our guys on that sheet as well - Sam Curran and Alex Hales. If they put in a great performance in the final, they can be the Player of the Tournament for me," Buttler added.
Nine players have been shortlisted for the Player of the Tournament by the ICC with players from England and Pakistan dominating the list. There are three players from England, two each from Pakistan and India and one each from Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Fans get the chance to vote for the winner.
Suryakumar has become the poster boy of fearless T20 cricket in India and the 32-year old has exponentially increased his fan base with his exploits on the cricket field.
Suryakumar has become the poster boy of fearless T20 cricket in India and the 32-year old has exponentially increased his fan base with his exploits on the cricket field.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has lauded the star batter for his splendid performance in the T20 World Cup. He has predicted that Suryakumar will revolutionise Indian T20 cricket and Team India needs more multi-dimensional players like him.
“Suryakumar Yadav is a player who will revolutionize Indian T20 cricket. You will have to find more multi-dimensional players like him, just like the England team, which is filled with all-rounders till No. 9 or No. 10,” said Bangar on Star Sports.
