T20 World Cup: Suryakumar reveals how wet rubber ball cricket helped him

Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav has lit up the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia with his unorthodox shots. He is being hailed as the ‘new 360-degree player’ and the secret for playing such shots has been revealed by Suryakumar himself on Monday (November 7).

Sunday was witness to yet another special innings by Suryakumar at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This time, Zimbabwe bowlers were at the receiving end of Suryakumar’s incredible shot-making.

Also read: T20 WC: Suryakumar showcases orthodoxy and innovativeness at MCG

A day after the game, with India having sealed a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, Suryakumar spoke about his unorthodox shot-making.

Talking to teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, Suryakumar was asked how he played those shots without practising them in the nets.

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“They are calling you the ‘Mr. 360’ even since AB de Villiers called it quits. I don’t feel it is just 360, it is finding different angles also, like a slower ball going over the keeper’s head, then suddenly one going to the third man through the leg side… How are you managing these shots? Are you practising them? How does it work?” Ashwin asked Suryakumar in a video posted on the official Twitter handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The right-handed batsman explained, “I think, looking at the boundaries ahead, they are about 80-84 metres. Square boundaries are also bigger here (in Australia), about 75-80 metres. The only place the boundaries are short is behind, that is 60-65 metres. Just trying to explore that, and succeeding.”

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Further, Ashwin questioned, “I really don’t see you playing these shots in the nets. It is almost that you instinctively play these shots. These are shots that people don’t play instinctively. Is there anything that we can go back to your childhood where how you managed to play these shots?”

Suryakumar said it was thanks to his rubber ball cricket during his younger days that helped him to play such shots on a cricket field.

“I had been playing a lot of rubber ball cricket with my friends, when I was young, in our building. They used to literally run and chuck from 17-18 yards with a wet rubber ball. So, from there, these shots have come. I don’t practice these shots in the nets. I will get hit (if I try them in nets), then who will play the game?” he said.

Suryakumar is currently the number one T20I batsman in the world. His shot-making has earned him comparisons with South African legend AB de Villiers, known as “Mr. 360”.

Being called the new ‘Mr. 360’, story behind his batting pyrotechnics and much more 👌@ashwinravi99 in conversation with @surya_14kumar 🗨️🗨️

Coming 🔜 on https://t.co/Z3MPyesSeZ.

Watch this space for more.#TeamIndia | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Khji0jpLLq

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 7, 2022