Sunil Gavaskar praises Surya Kumar's magnificent innings

Former India captain and Geo Star Expert Sunil Gavaskar has lavished praise on Surya Kumar Yadav's brilliant innings in India's win against New Zealand in the second T20 match. He highlighted Surya Kumar's match awareness, ability to play according to the situation, and maturity during his crucial partnership with Ishan Kishan. Speaking on Cricket Live, Gavaskar explained how Surya Kumar used the initial part of his innings to get into rhythm while Ishan Kishan was batting aggressively at the other end. Gavaskar said, "Surya's innings clearly showed that he had a good understanding of the conditions. He was playing at 11 off 11 balls, while Ishan Kishan had scored 76 out of the 97-run partnership. This also shows the maturity of a captain."

He said that when Ishan Kishan was in full flow, Surya Kumar focused on rotating the strike and settling himself. According to Gavaskar, "When the other batsman is batting so well, you give him more strike, take singles and doubles to improve your timing, move your feet, and prepare yourself for the big shots." Gavaskar further stated that after Ishan Kishan's dismissal, Surya Kumar took charge of the innings, which highlighted the importance of his shot selection. He said, "After Ishan Kishan's dismissal, it was Surya who took the lead and started playing shots. The drives on the off-side were a big plus point as it showed that he was trying to play as straight as possible."

The former opener termed Surya Kumar's unbeaten 50-plus score as "a brilliant innings" and a huge boost for the Indian team ahead of the T20 World Cup. Gavaskar also emphasized the understanding between Ishan Kishan and Surya Kumar, which was developed during their time playing together for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He said, "When you travel across the country for over two months playing for a franchise, you develop a special bond with each other." Praising the team environment, Gavaskar said, "It was great to see the collective spirit in the team, as you need that team spirit in difficult situations."