Suryakumar Yadav’s Recovery of Lost Form Casts the Sunset Over his Doubters and Harsh Critics
SKY scored 83 against RCB [AP Photos]
Long before the concept of impact player came about in the Indian Premier League, we regarded the world famous T20 series - as we still do- for the impact that batters have over the ball.
And giving an incredible demonstration of just that, Mumbai Indians’s Suryakumar Yadav shone rather brightly last evening at his own den, i.e., the Wankhede at Mumbai.
But implicit in yet another vital half century by the marauding batter was the sheer impact one single knock had on not just on his team but in rescuing his own reputation with the bat that, not until long ago, had faced rancid criticism.
A smashing 83-run-knock off just 35 deliveries enabled Mumbai Indians to become the first team this season that chased three 200-plus run totals on the bounce.
But rather remarkably, Suryakumar Yadav’s memorable heroics in the run chase enabled him to enter the Orange Cap line-up; the right hander now has 376 runs from 11 games.
Was such an achievement, and it is an achievement indeed, even on the cards over a fortnight ago?
Surya soars high
Last evening, the man stationed in the middle order of the Mumbai Indians, went berserk and put up a show that featured no fewer than 6 sixes and 7 boundaries.
In so doing, 64 of his 83 runs came just by way of smashing hits to the fence, a vital recovery for a batsman whose own career, until a month back had seemed as though it was in urgent need of some repair work
But truth be told, the true efficacy of Suryakumar Yadav’s winning knock was measured by the fact that in a line up where much of the power hitting was perhaps left into the hands of Cameron Green and Tim David, it was Sky who sent the ball skywards and ultimately, over the ropes.
Moreover, it was at his behest not the iconic Rohit’s that the Mumbai Indians humbled an opponent who had been troubling so many of the other sides.
That Mumbai Indians, at the back of their brave chasing and Suryakumar Yadav’s unrelenting excellence are now third on the IPL table, is testimony of how much they are enjoying the current tournament besides being busy in battling old stereotypes.
“As a franchise, they are slow to proteas!” “As a unit, they don’t particularly gel well together with much of the task of run scoring attributed to one person!”
Perhaps in the current moment, they’ve come ahead, rather barged ahead of these misnomers. Perhaps, somewhere the fan isn’t being quite wayward in thinking that should Suryakumar Yadav continue the charge with the bat, especially at a time where an IPL team is now taking its final form- he might well succeed until the very end this season.
Though, his own side will need a lot many to step up akin to Sky at a time where the IPL is approaching the business end of the tournament.
SKY silences his critics
You’ll need a Rohit to put some pressure, you’ll want Ishan to continue his renewed approach to hammering bowlers. David being David, his own man, leaves very little to the imagination. But with Sky in menacing form- four fifties against his name- it would be a fool’s errand to take Mumbai as being that giant that’s too slow in waking up.
Though, having said it all, at the risk of sounding too judgmental, the greatest success of Suryakumar Yadav, the man who just registered his personal highest score this tournament, is the fact that he’s emerged squeaky clean over the debris of criticism his own failures with the bat saw him buried under.
His critics went too overboard in saying that the man was done and should ideally have even been dropped. That, he’s at the periphery of being selected in the WTC squad facing Australia is further evidence of his smashing comeback.
May the sun never set on Surya!
 "Dev Tyagi")