'Never seen shots like that from someone coming off an injury' - Brian Lara heaps praise on 'genius' Suryakumar Yadav

Former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara spoke on the upcoming battle between Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja as two teams with 10 IPL titles between them brace to lock horns at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on April 14 in IPL's El Clasico.

Lara lauded Suryakumar for his sensational exploits en route to a 19-ball 52 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Mumbai Indians’ most recent win to announce his return in style after an ankle injury kept him on the sidelines for a considerable period. The former southpaw threw light on Yadav’s resolve in putting behind not just the injury setback but also the duck he bagged upon his immediate return as he played on his own terms in just his second game in the ongoing season.

“Yeah, it's a battle, but you know, okay, those are some stats that you pull out. I mean, those are the times when he may have failed, but this guy is in superb form. And I mean, if he wants to succumb to that and say, okay, I'm going to rematch against you later. I've got other guys I can take on. He can do that as well,” Lara told Star Sports.

Also read: Suryakumar Yadav is a better version of AB de Villiers: Harbhajan Singh

“But I believe that the confidence that he's in, whether it's left arm spin or left arm pace, whatever you call it, I think he's going to drop the slower balls for most battles. And when you have to actually put pace on the ball, it's always dicey. You like pace on the ball where you can carve it in different directions. But I mean, what I saw a couple of days ago from Suryakumar Yadav is just genius. I think, I've not seen shots like that from a guy who's just coming off an injury, coming off a first-half attack, or at least a zero in the last game. Tremendous. And I think whatever battle will come from Suryakumar Yadav,” he added.

Former India cricketer S. Sreesanth spoke on how he would use Jasprit Bumrah, who is coming after a spellbinding five-wicket haul against RCB that earned him a Player of the Match. 

“Oh, Bumrah has to keep the same. He's bowling extremely well. So, it's very important not to try too hard, which he said in the last match presentation, where he said, 'Everybody knows I bowl very good yorkers. But I had to practice really hard.' Even for the youngsters who were watching, it was a very good advice to the youngsters that it's not just one yorker I bowl. I mix and match, not just short balls. He went back, he practiced for those length balls, just short length balls, varying the pace, varying the crease," Sreesanth said.

Also read: 'I try to not be a one-trick pony' - Jasprit Bumrah sheds light on gambit behind incredible spell against RCB

"So, that's why Bumrah is boom, boom, Bumrah all the way and the sky is falling and Bumrah getting wickets. So, there's no stopping of Mumbai Indians. It's going to be very difficult for a team like CSK to get a win. But as you know, you never know because surprises are stored in this Premier League and that's why it's the world's best Premier League. So, I won't be surprised if CSK gets that. And especially tomorrow is Tamilian New Year as well. So, a lot of prayers behind CSK too,” he added.

Former Australia cricketer Aaron Finch on the battle of Bumrah vs CSK openers. “I think the battle with Bumrah up the top against Rachin Ravindra, that will go a long way to shaping how the game goes, because I think the reliance on the top order to do their job really well, that helps structure up the rest of the CSK batting line. So I think if they can get through Bumrah early on, they can set a total or chase up again. But if he gets access to that middle order early, then the spin is coming into play as well and Mumbai will be too good.”