'He’s pulling off shots that I never did' - AB de Villiers lavishes massive praise on Suryakumar Yadav

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers recently opened up on the comparisons between himself and Indian star Suryakumar Yadav, emphasizing that Yadav has executed shots that he himself never attempted. Experts have drawn parallels between Yadav and de Villiers due to the former's ability to play shots all around the ground. De Villiers showered lavish praise on Yadav, the current world No. 1 in T20I batter rankings.

The South African legend believes that Yadav has a long way to go in his cricketing journey and that there is even more potential to be unleashed. The former RCB superstar stated that he sees several similarities between Yadav and himself.

"Suryakumar Yadav possesses a repertoire of shots that even I did not attempt during my playing career. Watching Yadav bat when he is in full flow is a delightful experience," de Villiers said in an interview with JioCinema on Home of Heroes.

De Villiers believes that Yadav possesses the ability to effortlessly shift gears during his innings, making him a truly remarkable batter. The former Proteas skipper commended Yadav's composed approach at the crease, naming that to be a key factor in his success. He also explained that Yadav's ability to remain calm allows him to move slowly and position himself perfectly to face each delivery. 

"When he’s confident, he moves so slowly and he sets it so beautifully upright. He gets the ball nice and late. And once you snap that as a batter, once you realize that the faster the bowler gets, the more you’ve got to let it come and that is really starting to click and I think he has clicked that. So, the sky’s the limit. Excuse the pun," he said.

Yadav has dazzled audiences with his performances and boasts an staggering strike rate of 175.76 in 46 T20I innings, including three centuries and 13 half-centuries. His impact on the game and his ability to score runs consistently makes him a rising star in Indian cricket, and the future looks extremely promising for the talented batter.