Not Orange Cap but he will win you matches: Kaif on Suryakumar Yadav

image-l8n7se9pSuryakumar Yadav / PC: Twitter

Team India got off to a rousing start to the three-match T20I series against South Africa as they won the series opener by 8 wickets at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, September 28. 

Having won the toss and opting to bowl first, the fast-bowling duo of Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar wreaked havoc and tormented the batting lineup of the Temba Bavuma-led side. 

The left-arm quick and new ball specialist Chahar came down like a ton of bricks on the visitors and reduced them to 9 for five within 3 overs. South Africa huffed and puffed their way to 106 for the loss of eight wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. 

Chasing the paltry total of 107 runs on the tricky pitch of Kerala, team India lost two early wickets in the form of India skipper Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli, who struggled during their short stay in the middle. 

However, it was Suryakumar Yadav, who once again stepped up for the team and continued his good run in the shortest format, smacking sensational 50 runs from just 33 balls to take his side home. 

The hard-hitting batter was fully aided by India's star opener KL Rahul, who showed nerves of steel and played a steady knock and allowed Suryakumar to play his natural game. The Karnataka batter finished the game with an unbeaten 51 off 56 balls. 

Mohammad Kaif all praises for Suryakumar Yadav

However, it was Suryakumar Yadav who stole all the limelight, thanks to his fearless batting approach, which has helped team India finish the games on several occasions. Many cricket experts and pundits are pouring in high praises and appreciating the Mumbai batter for his knock.

The former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif is the latest addition to this tally. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer took to Twitter and conceded that Suryakumar Yadav has cemented his spot at number 4 in the Indian cricket team. 

Here's what Kaif wrote in his Tweet: 

"Top class pacers or spinners, turning or seaming pitches, difficult match situations - nothing bothers Surya. He might not win the orange cap, MoM but he will win you matches. No.4 pe rumal daal diya Surya ne, he's not moving for a long time. @surya_14kumar."

The 32-year-old has become a lynchpin of team India's batting line-up ever since he made his international debut back in 2021. He recently stifled Shikhar Dhawan's record of most T20I runs for team India in a calendar year.

The belligerent Suryakumar Yadav is going to be the trump card for Men in Blue going to the upcoming T20I World Cup 2022 with the Rohit Sharma-led management expecting him to replicate his incredible batting exploits Down Under. 

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