Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Parthiv Patel has showered praise on Suryakumar Yadav after the third T20I against New Zealand. The hosts registered a convincing eight-wicket win at Guwahati on Sunday.

SKY returned to form as he scored an unbeaten knock of 82 runs off just 37 balls in the second T20I against New Zealand with the help of nine fours and four sixes.

India was chasing a par score of 209 runs and SKY played an instrumental role in the run-chase. The Indian skipper backed it with another impressive knock of 57 runs off 26 balls in the third T20I. The right-hander scored six fours and three sixes in his fine innings in the run-chase of 154.

“This is the specialty of great players. We have been talking about this for a very long time that, for any batter, it’s about just one inning. When that one good inning comes, they have the ability to build on it. The way Suryakumar Yadav was batting before these two innings and the way he batted today (Sunday), there is a massive difference being seen in that,” Parthiv Patel said on Star Sports.

The former gloveman said SKY wasn’t playing the scoop shot predeterminedly and played it on instinct.

“The Supla shot we talk about, he is playing that shot naturally now. Earlier, he was going in search of that shot because he didn’t have runs behind him. If he had to hit the same ball over cover, he can do that as well. However, if he hit a six over fine leg, it means instinct took over,” Parthiv observed.

On the other hand, Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal said that when SKY is in form, it is extremely difficult to bowl to him.

“When he is in form, it’s extremely difficult to bowl to him. I will talk as a wrist-spinner. When he plays the sweep and you keep the deep fielder towards square leg, the midwicket is empty, he can hit in the gap when you bowl the googly, and he gets a boundary there,” he said.

The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.