CHENNAI : Six-time NBA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his signature shot called Skyhook. Many have called it 'the deadliest shot the NBA has ever seen' as well. It is a highly effective and difficult-to-defend shot that involves extending the shooting arm high above the defender and releasing the ball in a sweeping motion. Watching Suryakumar Yadav bat when he is one of his moods, is like reliving the skyhook from the late 70s. When it works, it works. And there is no denying that it is beautiful to watch.
Recovering from the ankle injury he sustained during the South Africa tour in December 2023, he did not play in the first two matches for Mumbai. His return, against Delhi Capitals, at home did not go according to plan when he went for a duck, where every other batter made of their chances to take Mumbai to 234. It all changed against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he found his mojo. After a base set by Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma, Yadav walked in to bat at three with 96 runs still required off 67 balls. He showcased his immaculate wristwork, picked up slower balls to smash them for sixes and thoroughly entertained the crowd. He picked a slower back of a length ball and pulled it over midwicket to reach his fastest IPL fifty of all time.
When Chennai Super Kings came to the Wankhede three days after the RCB fixture, none of it worked for Yadav where his instinct of uppercutting Matheesha Pathirana was right but he found Mustafizur Rahman hanging on for a catch. When it works, it works. When it doesn't, it doesn't. However, that has been the beauty of watching Yadav bat has been in this season. As an Impact Player, he has made sure to make the most of his time in the middle.
Again, at Mullanpur, that is exactly what he did. And this time it worked. Unlike in the fixture against Bengaluru, where he came after a century partnership, today, he had to build one alongside Rohit Sharma. He did not waste any time and smashed Kagiso Rabada for two boundaries in the same over he took Ishan Kishan's wicket and welcomed Harshal Patel with a boundary courtesy of some smooth wristwork. He struggled a bit against Harpreet Brar, but eventually nailed a sweep to keep the scoreboard ticking.
A six over extra cover off Iam Livingston took him close to another half-century, which he eventually completed in 34 balls. After the fall of Sharma's wicket, Yadav slowed down a bit but made Rabada pay for some sloppy bowling and took 18 runs from the South African's final over. This was not a regular SKY trademark innings where he would bat with a 200+ strike rate and take the game away from the opposition. He batted at the strike rate of 147 and had to work for his runs against some of the crafty bowling from Punjab bowlers. But that's what you get with Yadav. When he is in rhythm, it is a treat to watch.
His 78 set the tone for Mumbai as they went on to score 192 in the first innings. Later, Gerald Coetzee and Jasprit Bumrah's four wickets inside the powerplay gave Mumbai the early boost they needed to defend the total, but Yadav once again showed that just like Kareem's Skyhook, when it works, he is one of the best players to watch to.
Brief score: Mumbai Indians 192/7 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 78; Harshal Patel 3/31) beat Punjab Kings 183 all out in 20 overs (Ashutosh Sharma 61; Jasprit Bumrah 3/21)