SKY's the limit: Suryakumar Yadav's X factor key to India's chances

Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot during the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2022 cricket match between India and South Africa at the Perth Stadium in Perth on October 30.

India is blessed with world-class batting talent, especially at the top of the order. However, the openers haven't fired as per expectations and the onus is on talisman Virat Kohli yet again to lift India from crises.

But what happens when even the all-time great batsman fails?

In comes Suryakumar Yadav.

The explosive batsman is an 'all or nothing' sort of player who possesses all the shots in the T20 book. He does not change his explosive gameplay regardless of what the situation is, and it is this 'X factor' that saw India post a competitive total on Sunday. On a cold evening at the Perth Stadium, India was in the doldrums after South Africa's Lungi Ngidi ripped apart the Indian top order on a bouncy wicket.

Suryakumar Yadav in T20I in 2022:

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Innings - 26 Runs - 935 Average - 42.5 Strike Rate - 183.69 Fifties - 8 Hundred - 1 pic.twitter.com/gQyL9PeykL — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 30, 2022

The Men in Blue lost half their side after 8.3 overs, with the score reading 49/5, and the South African pace quartet was pumped up even as the dismissed Indian batsmen wrapped themselves in warm clothing in the dugout.

But the hard-hitting Suryakumar Yadav was not bothered by the cold, pace-friendly conditions, as he continued fronting his zen-like expressions in the face of adversity.

That's because SKY, as he is known in short, made batting look easy on a pitch the Proteas pacers were thriving on. He dug into his 360-degree arsenal of shots, hitting three sixes in his knock including his trademark flick over fine leg off Lungi Ngidi as India posted a respectable 133/9.

Even as others around him fell like ninepins, SKY played like he was batting on a different wicket as he picked gaps in the field at will.

This whirlwind innings (68 off 40) in the toughest of conditions will surprise very few. SKY has had a brilliant 2022 in T20is so far, scoring eight 50s and a brilliant century in England, which also came in a tough situation, and he has been a T20 beast for his IPL side Mumbai Indians.

While most of his success in his career has come in friendlier wickets, SKY's biggest asset is his mental fortitude.

Suryakumar Yadav at it's very best in T20I. pic.twitter.com/dLdSRhH2x9 — Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 30, 2022

It's this attitude of his that will propel India's chances at the World Cup, especially on bouncy Aussie wickets. The influence of the pitch is further accentuated when you factor in the rain and moisture that has affected this tournament.

With India still plagued by openers firing blanks, it is impractical to expect Kohli to repeat his MCG heroics in every game.

This makes SKY India's biggest asset, not least because of his zen-like expression but also down to the shots in his arsenal that very few possess.