Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan said that Suryakumar Yadav cannot be compared with Ab de Villiers and Jos Buttler as they have more power than the Indian star.
“I feel AB de Villiers had more power,” says Irfan Pathan
Suryakumar Yadav of late has been one of the best batters in the T20Is which has seen him getting compared even with AB de Villiers. The right-hander was at his exceptional best in 2022 as he was the leading run-scorer in last year with over 1100 runs to his name.
He continued his red-hot form in 2023 as he smashed a half-century in the second game between India and Sri Lanka. Yadav scored 51 runs off 36 balls with the help of 3 fours and 3 sixes. His effort however wasn’t enough as India lost the game and the series was levelled at 1-1.
Great 5️⃣0️⃣by @surya_14kumar 🤩🔥#SuryakumarYadav pic.twitter.com/HziGpfxXHq
— Devendra Singh (@Devendra_sin1) January 6, 2023
With his array of shots and his ability to play 360-degree cricket, Suryakumar has often been compared to AB de Villiers. But Irfan Pathan feels it’s unfair to compare him with the Proteas great as he had more power. Speaking on Star Sports, he said:
“It is very difficult to compare. You cannot compare with AB de Villiers as well because I feel AB de Villiers had more power. He was ahead of Suryakumar Yadav when you talk about hitting over long-off or overs the covers consistently.”
“If we talk about Jos Buttler, he has comparatively much more power,” Irfan Pathan on Suryakumar Yadav’s comparison with an English skipper
While comparing Jos Buttler with Suryakumar Yadav, Pathan said that England’s white-ball captain has more power but when it comes to the range to shot, India’s star is ahead. He added:
“If we talk about Jos Buttler, he has comparatively much more power, if you talk about range hitting. But if you talk about the range, Suryakumar Yadav has a bigger one – he can play the cut, hit over covers, mid-wicket, and play the sweep.”
Suryakumar Yadav will be next seen in action when India takes on Sri Lanka in the third Test on Saturday (7th January).
