India, showcasing a spectacular performance, defeated Australia in the first T20 bilateral series on Thursday by chasing down a record target of 209 runs with a ball to spare. The hero of the innings was none other than T20 champion batter Suryakumar Yadav who was well-assisted by Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh. Popularly named SKY, Yadav made his international captaincy debut in the absence of T20 captain Hardik Pandya, who was also ruled out of the World Cup due to an ankle injury. SKY scored 80 off 42 balls, releasing the pressure off Ishan Kishan, and ensured India was in a dominating position by the time he lost his wicket in the 18th over of the chase. 

Yadav has undergone a whirlwind of criticism on social media since his poor performance in the ICC 2023 World Cup. But with his latest performance in the T20 match against Australia, SKY has indeed bounced back.

Suryakumar Yadav in World Cup 2023

Not being tested a lot during the World Cup campaign, SKY batted in the lower-middle order and managed to score 106 runs in seven innings, including the 49 runs he scored against England on a tricky wicket. He could not leave an impact during the finals, where he had the finisher’s role to play. In the finals, he could only score 18 off 28 balls. For the current highest-rated and top-ranked T20 batsman, this was a below-par innings, despite the longer format. 

It was Australia, whose plans were well on point that day. But as soon as the format changed, it took less than four days for Surya to get back into his domain, where he is considered the most dangerous batsman at the moment. The same opponent, with a different squad though, had no answers while Surya stood in the middle, striking punches and hooks and paddles against the Aussie attack. 

A T20 batsman

His 80 off 42 deliveries over-shadowed Josh Inglis’ ton. He loves the format and is known for his unorthodox shots. Wide yorkers outside the off-stump, something that fast bowlers heavily rely on in the death overs, is his favourite dish. Bowlers are aware that he won’t hesitate to move across the stumps and paddle sweep it for a six. 

SKY started the IPL journey in 2011, and made his debut in 2012 for Mumbai Indians. He was then associated with Kolkata Knight Riders, where he played every game in their championship campaign of 2014. However, he peaked in 2018 for Mumbai Indians. 

He made his international debut in T20 cricket against England in 2021, and it took him no time to achieve the highest ratings and cement the apex ranking among T20 Batsmen. In his 51 innings, he nears 1,921 runs with three international centuries and 16 half-centuries. His strike rate is 173.38, which is the highest among active players.

ODI is more related to Test cricket

If we compare the nature of the game in ODIs and T20s, we can find a striking difference. Despite being a day’s event and playing with the white ball, ODI cricket is still relatively closer to Test cricket when it comes to the approach and the flow of the game. A batsman would have to stay in the middle, hold an end, anchor the innings, see off the good balls, and may have a dry spell, going without a boundary for a few overs. 

However, this is not the case in T20 cricket. It is not about shifting gears in T20 cricket. You have to keep a foot on the accelerator and keep it pressed. Even if one batsman has to hold his end, nobody can take more than 7-8 balls to settle down, and if not dealing in long sixes, one has to look for boundaries and constantly rotate the strike. 

This could be reflected in the World Cup 2023, where India and Australia, both finalists had a team that had more test regulars in the ODI team, than any other team. Both had 9 test regulars, who also dominated with their performances.