T20 World Cup 2022: “It will be a significant challenge” – Saba Karim warns Suryakumar Yadav against England in the semifinals

Former Indian selector Saba Karim has warned in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav to be careful against England in the T20 World Cup semifinal in Adelaide on Thursday (November 10). He said the England team would be busy plotting his dismissal ahead of the crucial match.

Suryakumar smashed an unbeaten 61* off 25 balls against Zimbabwe in Melbourne on Sunday. He also became the first Indian batter to complete 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year.

The right-handed batter is a big threat to the opposition with his ability to hit the ball in every corner of the ground. He has already amassed 215 runs in five matches in the T20 World Cup.

Speaking to India News, Saba Karim said:

“48:15- All England bowlers, think tank, and performance analysts will be thinking about the line and length to bowl at Suryakumar Yadav. The kind of field setup and pace they want to use [against the World No.1 T20I batter].”

He continued:

“It will be a significant challenge for Suryakumar because he is the only player from India who can play 360-degree shots. He plays equally well against the spinners and pace bowlers. I think it will be tough to stop him.”

It is worth mentioning that Suryakumar smashed his maiden T20I century in England earlier this year. He will be looking to repeat his heroics against Jos Buttler and Co.

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“KL Rahul has found his form at the right time” – Reetinder Singh Sodhi ahead of T20 World Cup semifinals

Former Indian cricketer Reetinder Singh Sodhi has lavished praise on KL Rahul after his back-to-back fifties against Bangladesh (50 off 32 balls) and Zimbabwe (51 off 35 deliveries).

He also labeled him a match-winner and hailed the Indian team management for backing him despite repeated failures in the first three games.

Speaking on the same show as Karim, Sodhi said:

“27:40 – KL Rahul has found his form at the right time. Team management trusted him despite repeated failures because he is an ultimate match-winner.”

Like Suryakumar, Rahul also hit a century against England in T20Is but that came four years ago. He will be looking to play a memorable innings for the Men in Blue.

Rohit Sharma and Co. must beat England to reach the T20 World Cup final, scheduled in Melbourne on Sunday. Meanwhile, Pakistan will lock horns against New Zealand in the first semifinal in Sydney on Wednesday (November 9).