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Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin heaped praise on middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav for his exceptional performance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024. As India prepares to face South Africa in the final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, Ashwin highlights Suryakumar's crucial role in the team’s journey in the tournament.

The stylish right-handed batter is currently the ninth-highest run scorer in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, amassing 196 runs across seven matches at an impressive strike rate of 137.06. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday, June 29, Ashwin reaffirmed Suryakumar's status as one of the premier T20 batters in the world.

Suryakumar Yadav is one of the finest T20 batters in the world: Ravichandran Ashwin

The senior spinner praised the Indian batter's ability to consistently deliver under pressure, particularly in the crucial number four position in the batting order. His aggressive yet calculated approach has provided stability and momentum to the Indian team, especially when they needed him in the crucial matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup in 2024.

Suryakumar smashed an unbeaten fifty to help the Men in Blue beat the USA by seven wickets in the Group A match and then smoked another fifty against Afghanistan in the Super-8 match to show his class.

He played an amazing cameo of 31 runs off 16 balls against Australia in the Super-8 game before hammering a fabulous knock of 47 runs off 36 balls during India's 68-run win over England in the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals in Guyana. 

Well, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, has been formidable throughout the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, emerging victorious from both group stages and the Super-8 stages and now they will be aiming to cross the final hurdle to lift the coveted cup in Barbados on Saturday.

Suryakumar Yadav has shown great intent at No.4 at T20 World Cup 2024: Ravichandran Ashwin

As India heads into the final, Suryakumar's form will be crucial for the Men in Blue, given his ability to play big shots and rotate the strike efficiently, and Ashwin backed the star batter to deliver yet another extraordinary batting treat for his critics in the summit clash against South Africa.

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel: “Suryakumar Yadav is one of the finest T20 batters in the world. He is playing extraordinarily well. But, as usual, our people have been talking about knockout performances and big teams. But he has put it to bed. The high-quality player that he is, he has shown it with his intent in No. 4.”

South Africa can target Suryakumar Yadav with slower balls

Meanwhile, Australia effectively restricted Suryakumar Yadav by employing slower bouncers, with fielders positioned at deep third and fine leg in the 2023 World Cup final. And now South African bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen will surely keep this strategy in mind in the final.

However, Surya often exploits the bowlers' pace to guide the ball behind square on both sides. Since 2023, Suryakumar's strike rate against slower deliveries has exceeded 180, though his average is only 20.

If the Barbados surface is a slower one, then India’s Mr. 360-digress batter might benefit from avoiding planned shots and instead timing his hits towards deep midwicket and wide long-on, or aiming for the cover region with precise strokes.