'He won't just win you the match, but he will....' - Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh backs star batter to be match winner for India in ODI World Cup 2023

Harbhajan Singh is among the renowned off-spinner, shared insights into Suryakumar Yadav's potential impact on India's performance in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. Having faced each other frequently in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League, Harbhajan emphasized Suryakumar's role as a potential X-factor for the team.

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While Suryakumar gained admiration for dismantling top bowling attacks in T20Is, his transition to ODI cricket faced initial challenges. His inclusion in the 50-over World Cup squad sparked debates, with some questioning why Sanju Samson, boasting an average over 55 in the format, wasn't chosen instead. However, the team management expressed confidence in Suryakumar's ability to dynamically alter the game with his explosive batting. The recent series against Australia witnessed promising signs as Suryakumar delivered two significant half-centuries, showcasing improvement.

The former India legendary spinner underlined Suryakumar's potential to be a game-changer and asserted that if he maintains form, he could be the key to India's World Cup success. The former cricketer, now a commentator, went on to declare Suryakumar as his second-choice pick in India's playing XI, following captain Rohit Sharma.

"Looking forward to Suryakumar Yadav. He is an X-factor. If he gets going, he won't just win you the match, but he will win you the tournament. If I were a selector, I would have SKY as the second player in my team after the captain. Hardik Pandya is as good as anyone when it comes to hitting the ball and playing the normal game. I would play SKY if I were part of the team management. Who knows if they will play him or not?" the legendary spinner said at the India Today Conclave.

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He reminds me of AB de Villiers: Suryakumar Yadav

 Moreover, Harbhajan also went on to draw parallels between Suryakumar Yadav and the legendary South African batsman AB de Villiers. Harbhajan expressed his commitment to persist with the right-handed batsman even in the face of initial failures. The cricketer from Punjab also commended his former teammate, Shubman Gill, highlighting the young player's potential to deliver something extraordinary at the ODI World Cup 2023.

"I don't know what it is about him (Suryakumar Yadav). Today, I would be frightened bowling to him but not when I was at my peak. He reminds me of AB de Villiers. We need a player like him to play. Even if flops, I would still play him for the remaining matches. And another player I want to speak about is Shubman Gill; he has the chance to do something when he could be remembered forever," Harbhajan concluded.