Runs, strokes, enthusiasm: Suryakumar Yadav is everything a T20 captain can ask for

20th February, 2022, India have stuttered and stumbled their way to 66/3 when Suryakumar Yadav, in his inimitable manner, surveys the debris and walks out to the centre. At the other end, he has Rohit Sharma for company but the Indian captain embarks on an uncharacteristic 15-ball 7-run knock, meaning that India are reduced to 93/4, with one ball of the 14th over remaining.

Ever since his debut, Suryakumar has been inclined to bat the way he wants, which is usually by throwing caution to the wind. He has been pretty successful at that too. Today, though, there is a slight hesitation. Not just because he is expected to power India to a par total, but also because he doesn’t have too many batters to fall back on.

Had any other batter been in this situation, they would have tried to consolidate. Not Suryakumar. The Mumbai Indians batter hits the third ball he faces for six and immediately outlines his intentions.

He knows how much responsibility has been placed on his shoulders but he also understands that attack, as it often is in T20Is, could be the best form of defence. And, as soon as he gains that clarity, almost everyone at the ground knew how the rest of the essay was going to pan out.

That, in a nutshell, is indicative of how the right-handed batter has taken to international cricket. Before the pandemic, he had been a consistent domestic performer but had found international chances (even India A gigs) hard to come by. But since he has been introduced into the fold, it has, at times, looked as if he was born to play international cricket.

Apart from the intent displayed at the start against the West Indies, Suryakumar was brilliant in choosing his moments to attack. The number of wickets meant that he couldn’t be as gung-ho as usual. That, though, didn’t dwindle his effectiveness.

He swept, he scooped, he scythed the ball over third man, creamed it over long off, crunched it past extra cover, and of course, whipped it through mid-wicket. Some of these shots, by the way, came against relatively decent pace, hinting that there might not be much the batter is fazed by.

The more impressive aspect, though, was that it left everyone at the venue gaping in awe. So much so that the West Indian bowlers, for the final few overs, were left admiring whatever Suryakumar was doing at the other end. For a moment, the West Indians might have even felt they were running into a prime AB de Villiers. Suryakumar was that good.

Apart from that, there was plenty of composure and calmness about his batting – calmness that actually transcended the frenetic nature of strokes he was playing. Harsha Bhogle aptly summed it up, saying that for an explosive batter, Suryakumar’s batting is actually defined by the composure he oozes.

While Suryakumar was busy putting on a clinic, Venkatesh Iyer was leaving his own imprint as well. The lanky left-handed batter, whose role in the side has been under question, ripped the visitors’ bowling attack to shreds.

To an extent, his knock was a more watershed moment from India’s perspective, considering a pace-bowling all-rounder has been dubbed the final piece in their T20I jigsaw.

So, it was only natural that Venkatesh was asked a plethora of questions by the broadcasters in the innings break. He listened to each query carefully but the answer was never about him. It was always about the brilliance his MI counterpart had produced at the other end.

Remember, this was a cricketer who had done exceedingly well himself. That he could only gush about what his partner had indulged in, is proof enough of how special it actually was.

Post the game, when the broadcasters managed to catch hold of Venkatesh again, they actually asked him why everyone in the dressing room was so elated for Suryakumar.

After a cheeky smile, the all-rounder, in a characteristically straightforward manner, said that everyone just enjoys watching Suryakumar bat. Not because of the audacious shots he attempts (and pulls off, mind you), but because he bonds so nicely with everyone and keeps the team chemistry intact.

Suryakumar (R) is a bubbly character

Suryakumar Yadav brings extroardinary energy to the plate

To an extent, that is arguably the greatest quality Suryakumar brings to the fore. He is cheerful, he is chatty, he is effervescent and he makes those around him feel comfortable. Most tellingly, though, he emphasizes the importance of enjoying the game each of them love so dearly.

In international cricket, it is very easy to get caught up with what lies ahead and what has transpired before. So much so that you start to forget what made you play the sport in the first place.

The glint in the eye, the raw excitement of winning a contest, the sheer elation of putting on an India shirt – all of it can go amiss. Unless, of course, you have someone to keep reminding you that that should never happen.

From that perspective, the former Kolkata Knight Riders batter is very similar to Suresh Raina – another cricketer who was often cast into the shadows because of what his more illustrious peers accomplished. He never batted an eyelid, though.

There were times when he should have been the one garlanded. Yet, he always allowed it to be other people’s moment - an attribute that only materializes when someone is very confident in their abilities. On early evidence, it seems Suryakumar, much like Raina, has bags of it.

The similarities don’t end there. Akin to Raina, Suryakumar is an excellent fielder and has the potential to win games single-handedly courtesy of his fielding. He has dropped a couple of catches in recent times but that is just a slight deviation from what is otherwise an exceptional norm.

The number of avenues through which the MI batter contributes to this Indian side is quite remarkable. He can score runs, he can play innovative strokes, he can rattle along at breakneck speed from the outset, he can field well, and he can bring infectious enthusiasm onto the field. Don’t put it past him to be a stop-gap bowling option either.

In simpler words, he can do anything and everything a T20 captain can ask for.

Maybe then, it is time we acknowledge Suryakumar should be one of the first names on the Indian team-sheet moving forward. His off-field camaraderie alone should be enough to accord him a few extra chances. That he bats better than most of his contemporaries only adds another string to his burgeoning bow.

There will be days when he gets out to loose strokes (as it happened against Mitchell Santner and Roston Chase). On those occasions, it is important to look at the entire package he brings to the fore, while waiting for it to be overshadowed by moments of pure magic.

When those moments of magic arrive, it not only makes the crowd gape in awe, it leaves the opposition spell-bound and makes the Indian team rejoice in unparalleled fashion. Not many are able to evoke such a variety of emotions from such a heterogeneous group.

For years, it seemed that the Suryakumar-India nexus wasn’t meant to be. Now, it seems it was written in the stars all along. Deep down, Suryakumar might know it as well. If you can go down on one knee and lap fast bowlers over fine leg, you should probably feel that way too.