Perfected scoop shot while playing rubber-ball cricket: Suryakumar
Bengaluru, Nov 7 : India’s 360-degree batsman Suryakumar Yadav said he perfected his trademark scoop shot while playing rubber-ball cricket.
“You got to understand what the bowler is going to bowl at that time, which is a little pre-determined at that moment. I practiced that stroke a lot when I used to play rubber-ball cricket. So, you got to be thinking what the bowler is thinking at that time and if the field is in, I just back myself to go there,” he told Star Sports’ show ‘Follow the Blues.’
To play scoop shots, it is also necessary to know the distance of the boundary behind the batsman and play it according to the pace of the ball, Suryakumar said.
“You got to know how long the boundary behind is. When I stand there, I feel it’s just 60-65 meters and with the pace of the ball I just try and time it, take it on the sweet spot of the bat and if it hits, it just goes out there,” he said.
Suryakumar has been one of India’s star performers in this ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. His performances in recent games has led him to gain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings.
He has also scored the most number of runs overall in T20Is for the year 2022. A truly 360-degree player, Suryakumar’s form is going to be crucial if India want to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
One of the highlights of India’s game against Australia was Suryakumar’s unorthodox stroke where he dispatched the ball over the boundary with a scoop shot, gaining him plaudits from Sunil Gavaskar who was on commentary at the time.
Suryakumar also spoke about how he handles pressure situations in matches and how he tries to score runs all around the ground.
“When I go into bat, I just try and look for a few boundaries or even if I don’t get that, I just try and run as hard as possible between wickets. If you have to bat with Virat bhai then you have to run hard as well. But I try to do that, hit it in the gaps and run hard.
“But I know what strokes I need to play at that time. I try to play a lot of percentage cricket. My strokes are sweeps, over cover, and cuts, if I am succeeding in that, I just take the game ahead from there.”