'He plays with the psychology of the bowler' - Suresh Raina analyses Suryakumar Yadav's batting methodology

Mumbai Indians proved to be a challenging hiccup in the Gujarat Titans’ bid to seal the top spot in the 2023 TATA IPL standings, with the Indians beating the Titans by 27 runs on Friday evening at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. It was a SKY show as Suryakumar Yadav put on a dazzling display with the bat, scoring 103 runs (49b, 11x4, 6x6) to catapult Mumbai to a total score of 218 runs. Gujarat’s top-order collapse led to the run-chase slipping out of their hands, even with a late burst from Rashid Khan scoring 79 runs (32b, 3x4, 10x6). This win gives Mumbai third place in the standings, bringing them closer to completing their season turnaround and clinching a playoff spot, while Gujarat holds a one-point lead over Chennai at the top of the table. 

Yadav stole all the limelight with his sensational innings that led to his maiden century in the TATA IPL. His impact propelled the Mumbai Indians to their fourth win in five matches, leading to JioCinema TATA IPL expert Zaheer Khan showering him with plaudits. “The Surya which we know is back and getting better and better, especially at a crucial time. This time is going to be the most important for any team in the tournament because you’re getting to the business end of the tournament; it’s about going to the playoffs and putting your best foot forward. When you have Surya on a song like this, anything can happen. Teams will be looking at the MI line-up carefully because he holds the key MI and their season.”

The batter, affectionately referred to as ‘Sky’ painted the Mumbai skyline with sixes over the Wankhede Stadium. JioCinema TATA IPL expert Suresh Raina was heavily impressed with Yadav’s measure approach to batting on the night, “He plays with the psychology of the bowler. The way he smacked the ball around the ground. Today, he was batting with calmness once again. His approach was good, his intent was good, and look at the results. He hit the ball all around the ground for 103 runs in 49 balls, and he finished it off with his signature celebration.”

The Titans had a minuscule chance of pulling this win off after their top-order collapse, but Rashid Khan’s late barrage of sixes gave some last-minute entertainment to fans. Khan praised the standout bowler for delivering with the bat, “This was an outstanding knock by Rashid Khan. The game was almost well and truly done before he came to bat, but he had other plans. This could have been a big win, but Rashid Khan was in the way. To me, this is one of the best innings a lower middle-order batter has played in an IPL inning in a very long time. The kind of six-hitting we’ve seen was phenomenal.”