ICC T20 World Cup 2022, IND vs ZIM: 'Suryakumar Yadav has been phenomenal' - Rahul Dravid

Watching middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav bat is a boundless joie de vivre, and Team India head coach Rahul Dravid judges that he is staging a phenomenon every time he is out in the middle. Each one is better than the prior one and memorable at times. "He has been phenomenal for us. He is just a joy to watch. It's a pleasure to watch him bat when he's in that kind of form. Every time, it's like he puts on a show, without a doubt," sounded Dravid following India's victory over Zimbabwe by 71 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, confirming a semi-final date with England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

As known in the cricketing ecosystem, SKY bashed 61 off 25 deliveries versus Zimbabwe. "Yeah, it's incredible. That's why he is the No. 1 T20 player in the world at the moment," Dravid inferred. With 225 runs, he is the second-highest scorer for the side at this event. Only Virat Kohli (246) has scored more than him, but at 193.96, Surya's strike rate has been jaw-dropping.

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"It's not easy to be consistent with the strike rate he's going at. So, it's just fantastic the way he's playing. I think he's been unequivocal in his processes. He's very clear about his tactics," voiced Dravid, who, in his playing days, was known for his excellent technique and copybook shots.

But, if you think there has been no strategy for Surya's rage, you are wrong. He has reached the top after unbelievable hard work and sacrifices. He's worked very hard. I think one of the things about Surya is just the amount of hard work he's put in in the nets, in thinking about his game, his fitness," supposed Dravid.

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The work on fitness helped Kohli hit his peak a few years ago, which is happening with Surya in the shortest format. "If I look at Surya from a couple of years ago, just to see how he takes care of his body and the amount of time he spends on his fitness, I think he's just really earning the reward for a lot of the hard work that he's put in on and off the field, and long may it continue," concluded Dravid.

(With inputs from PTI)