"I remember he had just two shots" - Sanjay Manjrekar analyzes the incredible rise of India's T20I batting star

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has hailed Suryakumar Yadav for his incredible rise as a T20I batter. Analyzing his progress in the format, Manjrekar recalled that there was time when he seemed to have just two strokes in his kitty.

Suryakumar made a belated T20I debut against England in Ahmedabad in March 2021. The right-handed batter quickly established himself in the national team and has now played 81 T20Is, in which he has smashed 2,596 runs at an average of 39.33 and a strike rate of 167.70, with four hundreds and 21 fifties.

Speaking on Deep Point on Star Sports, Manjrekar tracked Suryakumar's amazing growth with the willow in T20Is. He commented (as quoted by Times of India):

"This has taken a lot of time; it didn't happen in just two years. He used to play for KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders), and I remember he had just two shots. Predictably, he would play the flick shot on the first ball of the innings, no matter where it landed.

"The growth of Suryakumar Yadav is incredible. Who would have predicted, when he was playing lower down the order for KKR, that he would go on to become the best T20I batter in the world?" he added.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar also shared his thoughts on the 34-year-old's batting skills and focused on the method behind the madness. He said:

"The method to this madness is proactiveness. It takes a lot of imagination, courage, and the ability to anticipate where the ball is coming from before it's even bowled-that's his hallmark.

"During the Asia Cup, we analyzed how, when bowlers try to adjust their deliveries after Surya gets into position, he still has another option to punish them. That’s his special ability. There are many players who can hit across 360 degrees, but his ability to abandon his plan and react to a delivery is amazing," the former India batting all-rounder added.

Suryakumar smashed 57 off 31 balls the very first time he batted for India, in a T20I against England, and has since gone from strength to strength.

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Suryakumar has been short of runs in India vs England 2025 T20I series

While the Mumbai Indians (MI) star has a terrific record ie T20Is, he has been struggling for runs lately. The 34-year-old has registered scores of 0, 12 and 14 in the ongoing T20I series against England at home.

The Indian captain has scored just 198 runs in his last 11 T20I innings at a poor average of 18, with just one half-century to his credit. During the tour of South Africa in November 2024, he registered scores of 21, 4 and 1.