Suryakumar Yadav the Viv Richards of Indian cricket? Navjot Singh Sidhu makes colossal comparison

The former Indian cricketer and commentator, Navjot Singh Sidhu, heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav after his stunning fifty guided Team India to a thrilling win over Afghanistan in the Super-8 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados on June 20.

Suryakumar’s scintillating knock of 53 runs off 28 balls not only rescued India from a precarious position and won the game for Team India against the Afghanistan cricket team, but also drew comparisons to the legendary West Indies batter Sir Viv Richards’ iconic batting style. Sidhu compared his aggressive batting style and shot-making to the legendary Richards.

Navjot Singh Sidhu in awe of Suryakumar Yadav’s sweep shot against Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2024 Super-8 Match

His brilliant knock was crucial in steering the Men in Blue to a competitive total of 181 after a shaky start at 90/4. He and Hardik Pandya (32) added a blistering partnership of 60 runs off just 37 balls, shifting the momentum firmly in India’s favor. Later, the Indian bowlers did the job for them in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super-8 clash.

Well, the right-handed batter’s innings were a spectacle of aggressive stroke play, particularly the way he was expertly using the sweep shots against Afghanistan’s bowling attack. One shot, in particular, stood out and left one and all, including Sidhu, in awe of him, sweeping the boundary against the Afghanistan pacer Azmatullah Omarzai in Barbados.

Anticipating a delivery outside off-stump, the Indian middle-order batter expertly maneuvered a low full toss to dispatch it to the deep square leg boundary. Sidhu, known for his colorful commentary, was visibly impressed by Suryakumar’s shot-making ability and compared it to the fearless approach of Richards while commentating during the Super-8 match.

Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports: “There are a lot of full tosses that the batsman doesn’t understand where to hit. Look, I’m talking about the computer. The mind was completely fed up with where to hit. Now, where did you hit it from? About 1.5 feet out of the stump again. You hit it from there, and no one moved at all.

This is the computer; this is Suryakumar Yadav, I’m talking about. There is a lot of rudeness, there is also politeness, and many times there is also bullying. He is ruling the shortest format, and the bowlers are unable to come up with a plan against him. He is unbelievable, and there is no one who can be as impactful as him in T20Is.

That would have been a wide ball had he stood in his original stance. But to fetch a wide delivery from offside and place it on the side for a four. It reminded me of Vivan Richards. When Suryakumar fires with the bat, there is no way to control him. He is a match-winner.”

.@sherryontopp heaps praise on #SuryakumarYadav for his iconic sweep shot during his match-winning knock against #Afghanistan! 💪🏼

Watch the #MenInBlue next in 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝟖 – World Cup ka Super Stage 👉 #INDvBAN | JUN 22, 6PM | #T20WorldCupOnStar pic.twitter.com/XCf99vcli5

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 21, 2024

Notably, Suryakumar Yadav has so far amassed 112 runs in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, where India will face Bangladesh in their next Super-8 encounter on June 22 in Antigua. He has smashed two fifties in the tournament so far.