Rohit Sharma hails Suryakumar Yadav as India's consistent big-match player

Suryakumar reached his first fifty in the format after 468 days and 23 innings by hitting an unbeaten 82, laced with nine fours and four sixes in India's seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Raipur.

With the Men's T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, Suryakumar returning back to form after a horrid 2025 augurs well for India in their quest to defend the title on home soil.

"A captain in form makes a big difference. But I see it differently. It's not just about the captain. If a key player like Surya is out of form, you lose out on one of your 7-8 batters. That weakens the whole lineup. Surya is a big player who has done well for India consistently. If his performance drops, it hurts the team.

"This isn't about the individual; it's about the batting order. Surya bats at a high strike rate and plays unorthodox shots that disrupt plans of the opposition. He hits balls in unexpected places and plays shots that others can't.

"That puts pressure on the bowler, making them think, 'What do I do now?, How can I tackle him?' When a player like Surya is in form, it makes the whole team stronger, not just because of his confidence, but because of what he brings to the game," said Rohit on JioHotstar.

Rohit has been team-mates with Suryakumar in India T20I team, as well as in IPL and domestic cricket. He explained the innate intelligence Suryakumar has in terms of reading the game.

"Suryakumar Yadav understands the game very well. We played a lot of IPL matches together. Whenever I talked to him about different situations, his responses always made sense. I judge people like that. I don't expect them to say what I think, but their answer should make sense.

"With Surya, it always does. He has great understanding and knows how to get the best from players around him. In the T20 World Cup, there will be tricky moments where we must be careful. It will be a test, but all these guys have played high-pressure games before. They should be able to handle it," he added.

Rohit further lauded Abhishek Sharma's calculated and impactful batting approach, which has been central to India getting great starts in power-play. "I like how Abhishek Sharma is batting. He doesn't just swing hard; his approach is smart and calculated. He plays shots all around, from extra cover to mid-wicket.

"He's a 180-degree batter who can clear fine leg if you bowl at his body. He's become a very good player, scoring quickly and consistently. For an opener, impact matters more than just runs.

"Giving your team 50-60 runs in the first few overs does half the job; it lets others build on it. To take on bowlers, you have to do your homework and practice those shots in the nets every day. It's that simple," he concluded.

- IANS