The second semifinal between India and England will take place in Adelaide on Thursday. "He is an amazing player, I do feel like he is the best in the world. He has probably taken T20 cricket to another level," Ali was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
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"I think he is the first of the players who come through where you cannot bowl at him when he is playing well, it is very difficult and a weakness does not really stick out," he added. Suryakumar Yadav has been one of India's star performers in this ICC Men's T20 World Cup. His performances in recent games have led him to gain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Men's T20I rankings.
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In five matches so far, the batter has scored 225 runs at an average of 75.00 with three half-centuries.In 28 T20I innings this year, Suryakumar has scored 1,026 runs at an average of 44.60. One century and nine half-centuries have come out of his bat, with the best score of 117. These runs have come at a strike rate of 186.24. Suryakumar is the first Indian and only the second player in T20I history to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year.
England has experience Suryakumar's sheer power and 360-degree batting first-hand this year. He hit his maiden T20I century in testing English conditions in the third T20I of the series held earlier this year, smashing English bowlers for 14 fours and six sixes in his knock of 117 off 55 balls. Moeen, who got his wicket in that match, recalled, "He absolutely murdered me before I got him out. They still needed a lot of runs and he got them close. Thankfully, he was tired when I got him out - that`s how I got him, I think. But he played amazingly well, some of the shots he played were some of the best I have ever seen."
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The all-rounder said that England is heading into the final four stage as underdogs, terming India as favourites to win. "It is the biggest game you can play in T20 cricket, in terms of the crowds and playing against a top side and cricket being such a force in India. That is what you want as a player. They will be the favourites to win. It is probably the type of game we want and need at this time. If we get through that, it will be a massive boost to our confidence," Ali concluded.
