"The difference between their numbers is very big" - Sohail Tanvir on Suryakumar Yadav vs AB de Villiers comparison

Former Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir believes that while Suryakumar Yadav has had a brilliant start to his career, it is still very early to compare him with AB de Villiers.

He pointed out that Suryakumar has shown his 360-degree strokeplay on several occasions, like de Villiers. He, however, opined that the Indian batter will have to do it consistently over the next few years to be in the same league as the South African legend.

Speaking on Nadir Ali's YouTube channel, Tanvir remarked:

"He (Suryakumar Yadav) is good. He, too, has a good range of shots. However, when you compare the two, the difference between their numbers is very big."

"AB de Villiers was able to continue his legacy for a very long time. Yes, Suryakumar has had a promising start, but we will only get a better picture when we look at his numbers towards the end of his career. If you were to compare now, AB de Villiers is ahead."

Notably, Suryakumar has emerged as Team India's go-to batter in the T20Is. He is also currently the top-ranked batter in the ICC rankings for the shortest format. The swashbuckler will next be seen in action during the Men in Blue's upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies, which begins in Barbados on July 27.

---

"Pakistan, unfortunately, have never had a batter who can play 360-degree strokes" - Sohail Tanvir

Sohail Tanvir further stated that Pakistan are yet to find a batter who can play shots in all parts of the ground like AB de Villiers.

He suggested that while there have been attacking players like Umar Akmal, Khushdil Shah, and Asif Ali, they do not have 360-degree strokeplay in their arsenals, adding:

"Pakistan, unfortunately, have never had a batter who can play 360-degree strokes like AB de Villiers. There have been a few power-hitters, Umran Akmal was one of them, and then there are the likes of Khushdil Shah and Asif Ali."

"But they aren't the type of batters who will hit you for a four towards the third man, then hit a lap shot over the fine leg, and also hit you for sixes down the ground."

Notably, Tanvir announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year, in March. However, he mentioned that he intends to continue playing league cricket.