"AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan would agree that Suryakumar Yadav has mastered it" - Rajkumar Sharma on India batter's scoop shot

Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has praised Suryakumar Yadav for his excellent execution of the scoop shot following his whirlwind knock against Sri Lanka on Saturday, January 7.

During a discussion on India News Sports, Sharma noted that even the likes of AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan would acknowledge Suryakumar's ability to play the ramp shot to perfection. He pointed out that the Indian batter has mastered the shot thanks to his quick bat speed.

Sharma explained:

"It was a fantastic knock. It was pleasing to see how he dominated the bowlers with his improvisations. His bat speed is brilliant while playing the scoop shot, which is not an easy thing to do. It is a very risky shot where the batter has to read the line and length of the ball very quickly.

"It requires a lot of skill. Even the pioneers of the scoop AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan would agree that Suryakumar Yadav has mastered it better than everyone else."

Suryakumar was at his swashbuckling best during the crucial T20I series decider against Sri Lanka in Rajkot. The right-handed batter entertained fans, slamming nine sixes and seven fours in his unconquered 112-run knock from just 51 balls.

Notably, the 32-year-old has been in tremendous form in the shortest format and currently leads the ICC T20I rankings for batters. He has tormented the opposition bowlers with his 360-degree strokeplay, with many fans and experts hailing his skills as exemplary.

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"I'm expecting Suryakumar Yadav to translate his T20I form into ODIs" - Saba Karim

In the same video, former wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim backed Suryakumar Yadav to come up with such dominant performances in ODIs.

Karim emphasized that the player has the versatility to adapt to different conditions, naming him as one of the top white-ball batters in modern-day cricket. He also claimed that Suryakumar is capable of doing the same in 50-over cricket as well.

"I'm expecting Suryakumar Yadav to translate his T20I form into ODIs," he added. "He adds great value to the Indian team in white-ball cricket. Batting in such a fearless manner, and that too with sheer consistency, is very difficult in T20 cricket.

"He is the No.1 player in modern-day cricket, especially in T20s. He has scored runs at home and also in overseas conditions. He has scored under very challenging circumstances"

Suryakumar will next be seen in action in the Men in Blue's upcoming three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka. The opening encounter is set to be played in Guwahati on Tuesday, January 10.