Babar Azam became a butt of jokes following the emergence of a video in which he was seen attempting India batter Suryakumar Yadav's signature shots. However, the Pakistan skipper's act failed to impress Team India supporters, who mocked him by likening him to “Sunny Leone“, the Canadian porn star turned actress based in Mumbai.
— Arham Jain (@arhamjey) February 5, 2023
Itni slow bowl to mera l**d bhi 360 ki tarah khele 😂
— Lucifer star ⭐ (@lucifer_star07) February 4, 2023
The only other person you guys haven’t compared Babar Azam with is Sunny Leone…
— 👽 Anakin Skywalker 👽 (@Java1Seven) February 4, 2023
— Mahesh Devendra (@mahesshdev) February 4, 2023
Mr 360 pic.twitter.com/BbvvZJzObm
— Lala (@FabulasGuy) February 4, 2023
SKY is known for his ability to hit shots all over the ground, particularly the ones experts have often deemed unimaginable. The ramp shot, the reverse sweep, the lap, the paddle sweep, flicks, and the scoop, Suryakumar Yadav has been displaying all of them.
In a brief span, Suryakumar Yadav has become the darling of Indian fans. Every time he walks out of the dressing room to bat, the crowd welcomes him with loud cheers and whistles. In the past, such adulation was only reserved for the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
On the other hand, Babar Azam has been compared with premier India batter Virat Kohli regularly. He's currently the No.1 batter in the 50-over format with multiple world records to his name, including being the only cricketer to score a hat-trick of centuries twice in One-Day Internationals (ODI).
Like Suryakumar Yadav, Babar Azam has also earned a vast legion of supporters across the globe. But he also got a block of detractors who have often accused him of playing for records and not making runs on difficult pitches overseas.
Yet, Babar Azam, as well as Suryakumar Yadav, have a cross-country following and are often praised for their performances in India and Pakistan. While Suryakumar Yadav has earned rave reviews from the Pakistani people, Babar Azam too has been lauded for his batting.
But Suryakumar Yadav's (SKY) fans ripped into Babar Azam after a post from Cricket Pakistan called the latter the “new Mr. 360′.
The Pakistan captain was striking a few scoops in the video, but this irked Surya fans.
Last month, Suryakumar Yadav bagged the ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year award. SKY had a sensational 2022, amassing 1,164 runs in 31 matches at a phenomenal average of 46.56 and a stunning strike rate of 187.43.
Besides scoring over eleven hundred runs, Suryakumar Yadav struck two scintillating tons – one each against England and New Zealand. He also finished the year as the highest run-getter.
In January, SKY slammed an unbeaten 112 off 51 balls, including nine sixes and seven boundaries against Sri Lanka at home. It was the middle-order batter’s third hundred in T20Is in only seven months since he struck his maiden hundred against England in July.
With his century against Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav became the first non-opener in the history of T20Is to hit three centuries.
In the process, SKY also became the quickest to complete 1,500 runs in the shortest form of cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav is now only behind Rohit Sharma in terms of centuries in T20Is as he went past KL Rahul after his stunning unbeaten innings against the Dasun Shanaka-led team.
SKY’s ton against the islanders was the second-fastest ton scored by an Indian in T20Is. While Suryakumar Yadav reached his hundred in 45 balls, KL Rahul took 46 deliveries to complete his century against West Indies in 2016.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma remains the record holder, scoring a ton in only 35 balls against the Lankan Lions in 2017.
Suryakumar Yadav's recent feats on 22 yards have mesmerized the cricket fraternity, with praise coming from all corners of the world.
“If you want to do Surya Namaskar, there are 12 steps. If you divide the 360-degree cricket field by 12, he gives his taste to every area. Whether it is fine leg, cover or the point region, he plays amazing shots in all directions,” former India coach Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports.
“He gives pleasure and gives every Indian a sense of pride that such a fantastic player is in the Indian camp because he is a once-in-a-generation player, especially in this format,” he added.
“The new Universe Boss is Suryakumar Yadav-the beast. Now what can I tell about this lad, even before I have said that a player like Suryakumar comes once in a lifetime. The innings which he played today, scoring 112 off 51, no one can replicate that. You can speak about ABD, Chris Gayle but even these two look pale in front of Surya. He has already eclipsed them and has taken T20 cricket to a whole new level,” retired Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.
After showcasing his extraordinary skills in white-ball cricket, Suryakumar Yadav was on the cusp of making his debut in Tests.
“Shubman (Gill) has been in supreme form. He has scored a lot of big hundreds (in ODIs). On the other hand, SKY (Suryakumar Yadav) has shown what he brings to the range, but we have not decided who we will go with,” Rohit Sharma said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test between India and Australia in Nagpur.
“We will miss Rishabh Pant but we have guys to fill into his role. We have had a good talk with the batters about their plans and hopefully, we will execute it from tomorrow onwards,” the Indian skipper added.
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