IPL 2020: He’s A Real Class Act - Tom Moody Hails Suryakumar Yadav

Former Australia all-rounder, Tom Moody is amazed at the fact that Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t played for India yet. He feels that Yadav is a highly talented and skilful batsman.

Despite scoring tons of runs in domestic cricket, Suryakumar Yadav went unnoticed year-after-year. The right-hander has scored over 400 runs in 2018 and 2019 IPL season as well, but with a lower strike rate. This season he has a strike rate of close to 150 for his 480 runs.

Over the years, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders and then for Mumbai Indians, the Maharashtra batsman has excelled in the finishing role, as well as opening the batting and at number three as well.

The 30-year-old was omitted from the limited-overs team for the tour of Australia, and there was a furore from fans and former cricketers about his exclusion- especially when players like Shikhar Dhawan and Varun Chakravarthy were selected in the T20 team based on their IPL form, but not Suryakumar Yadav.

Mind-blowing to think he hasn’t represented his country: Tom Moody

Tom Moody is also amongst the several former cricketers who belives that SKY should be in the national squad. Moody on an ESPNCricinfo chatshow picked out Yadav as his favourite uncapped Indian. He is surprised by the fact that the MI number three batsman hasn’t yet played for India.

The 55-year-old Tom Moody described Yadav’s batting technique as high-class. The former SRH coach said that Suryakumar bats with elegance and control and scores runs with nonchalant ease.

Speaking with ESPNCricinfo, Tom Moody said, “Suryakumar Yadav from Mumbai Indians, coming at No. 3, it is just mind-blowing to think that this guy has not represented his country. He bats with great grace, control and he seems to do it without breaking a sweat. To me, he’s a real class act.”

Gautam Gambhir, former KKR captain, has picked the MI batsman as his player of the tournament. Gambhir believes the runs Yadav scored were vital and very useful in the success of Mumbai Indians. The former India opener made this choice because Yadav has got those runs batting at a difficult number three position. Gambhir, who captained Yadav in KKR, praised the quality of the right-hander’s batting.

“My player of the tournament would be Suryakumar Yadav, because he batted at No. 3 which is a very crucial position and the way he batted. It’s not only about runs, it’s not because he is part of a champion team. It’s just the way he got those runs – with fluency. It was just sheer class and that’s why he is the player for me,” Gambhir said on ESPNCricinfo.

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