Suryakumar Yadav sends bold plea to AB de Villiers amid IND vs AUS 2025 T20I series

In a candid moment amid the ongoing five-match T20I series between India and Australia, India’s skipper Suryakumar Yadav made headlines with an open plea to former South African star and Bengaluru favourite AB de Villiers. 

Seeking the secret formula: SKY reaches out to a legend

Suryakumar, widely acclaimed for his explosive T20 batting and dubbed “Mr. 360,” acknowledged that his transition into ODIs and longer formats has been fraught with difficulties. Whereas his T20 numbers remain formidable, averaging nearly 37 with a strike rate above 164 in T20Is, his ODI average languishes below 26 and he has only featured once in Tests.

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In his short interview, he singled out de Villiers as a model of format-versatility, one who excelled across all three formats for South Africa, amassing a phenomenal use of skill and temperament. “If I meet him soon, then I want to ask him how he balanced his T20I and ODI game? Because I have not been able to do so.”

By making his request public, Suryakumar displayed both vulnerability and ambition. He admitted that treating ODIs like T20s, his usual mindset, may no longer suffice. 

"I thought ODI should be played like T20I. I want to ask him what did he do to be successful in both formats. AB, if you are listening to this , please get in touch with me quickly because there are important three-four years for me ahead. And I’m very keen on playing ODI cricket also. Please help me! I couldn’t balance between T20Is and ODIs."

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Where to watch the Australia vs India, 4th T20I match online?

Cricket fans in India can watch the Australia vs India, 4th T20I match on November 6 online on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium.