'In his Surya avatar!': Former India cricketer showers praise on Suryakumar Yadav, reveals how captain 'trapped' Australia bowlers in 1st T20I

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra praised captain Suryakumar Yadav for his calculated approach in the first T20I against Australia, saying his unconventional strokes forced bowlers to rethink their plans and fall into his trap.

The opening match of the five-game series at the Manuka Oval on Wednesday ended without a result after rain interrupted play twice. India had reached 97/1 in 9.4 overs, with Suryakumar unbeaten on 39 off 24 balls, while Shubman Gill was not out on 37 off 20.

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Speaking on Star Sports, Chopra said Suryakumar’s game awareness allows him to manipulate field settings and bowlers’ strategies. “When the runs come in that area, the story becomes easy. To be fair, the kind of pitch this was or the Australian pitches will be, this shot becomes more productive. He has to hit one shot, and then the bowler goes off plan, that where should he bowl next, that he has to do something else, and then you walk into a trap where Suryakumar Yadav hits you a lot,” Chopra observed.

Suryakumar’s knock included three fours and two sixes, including one off Josh Hazlewood early in his innings and another against Nathan Ellis shortly before rain stopped play for the final time.

The Indian skipper also reached a personal milestone, becoming the fastest batter to 150 sixes in T20 Internationals, achieving the feat in just 86 innings.

Chopra highlighted the India captain’s rare ability to generate power despite taking risks with his unorthodox technique. “The power he generates while taking the bat upwards from below is a rare skill. He has an incredible quality. You are praiseworthy if you can consistently score runs despite playing risky shots, and that's why he has reigned in the T20 format for a long time,” he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also noted that the innings came at a timely moment for Suryakumar after a lean run. “He needed to score runs. You are the captain of a winning team and you have a lot of experience and pedigree as well, so there weren't any question marks as such, but there are murmurs at times. When you go to the ground with a bat in hand, you are a batter first and a captain later,” Chopra said.

He added that Suryakumar’s fluent knock would help his leadership going forward. “It was important for the captain to be seen in his Surya avatar,” Chopra remarked.

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