Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav applauded Ashutosh Sharma‘s form for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2024. After PBKS suffered four sarly wickets on Thursday, Ashutosh hammered seven sixes and two fours in his explosive 61 off just 28 balls. His blistering knock rescued the Kings and brought them back from the brink against the MI bowlers.

Suryakumar said that Ashutosh is not a “mini Surya,” highlighting the unique qualities of the PBKS batter. However, Suryakumar acknowledged that they both want to win matches in the cash-rich league.

“Rather than labeling him as a ‘mini-Surya,’ I believe he batted well and showcased his skills against us. For a moment, it seemed as if his batting would single-handedly win the match. I share a similar mindset and desire to impact the game when I bat. He certainly tried to be a game-changer for his team today. Watching him bat was thoroughly enjoyable,” Suryakumar Yadav said.

The top-ranked T20 batter also revealed that he was in awe of Ashutosh’s batting but also wanted PBKS to lose the match,

“Though I did not want him to win the match for Punjab, I was thrilled by his masterful batting. With Punjab at 14/4, I started to relax. However, as the game progressed, Punjab’s lower order batted exceedingly well, dashing my hopes of an easy victory,” he added.

Following their batting exploits against GT, Suryakumar says he has remained in contact with Ashutosh and Shashank Singh.

“When he played his first knock against the Gujarat Titans,, it was the first time I texted both him and Shashank Singh. They had won that game after being in a similar situation. I speak to them regularly now. I’ve seen their brilliant mindset and work ethic firsthand. I hope they both maintain this high level of play without altering their approach,” he concluded.

Ashutosh has emerged as a key player for PBKS this season. Against GT, he showcased resilience with a quickfire 31 off 17 balls to help secure a crucial wins. Although PBKS fell just short against SRH despite his valiant 33 off 15 balls, Ashutosh has managed to impress evevyone. He is the new 360 degree player of India.

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