Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has picked a young Indian batsman as the most impactful player in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. The legendary fast bowler went with Indian middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav, stating the Pune-born cricketer would leave the most impact in the multi-team tournament.
Akram termed Surya as the game-changer and said he has the quality of playing both sides of the wicket. The 55-year-old said Suryakumar plays well in pressure situations and takes the momentum with him.
Notably, Akram had seen Surya during his early days when he used to represent the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
“A batsman who will be an impact player in the T20 World Cup is Suryakumar Yadav of India. He plays both on the sides and plays well in pressure situations. He takes the momentum with him and is a game-changer,” said Akram in a video shared on Koo.
“I have seen his shots. He was with me at KKR as well, now he has improved as a cricketer. He plays his shots, safe shots and doesn’t stop. So, he needs to go the way he has been playing in his career,” he added.
Akram also dropped his thoughts on impactful batters from other teams such as Pakistan, Australia and England. The former Pakistan captain named power-hitter Glenn Maxwell from Australia, explosive batter Liam Livingstone from England. When it comes to choosing batters from Pakistan, the Lahore-born went with captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan.
“For Australia, it will be Glenn Maxwell as he is a dangerous player, and for England, it will Liam Livingstone. I feel for Pakistan, it will Babar and Rizwan. Some excellent batsmen are going to tee off during this #T20WorldCup, Should make for some great viewing, bowlers better watch out for this list of batsmen,” Akram added further.
