“Please help me, AB de Villiers”: Suryakumar Yadav sends an SOS to the South African legend

Suryakumar Yadav, widely regarded as one of India’s most dynamic T20I batters, has acknowledged that his success in the shortest format hasn’t yet carried over to One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The Indian T20I skipper, who has struggled to cement his spot in the ODI lineup, opened up about his challenges and shared that he plans to seek guidance from South African legend AB de Villiers on how to master both formats.

Speaking on journalist Vimal Kumar’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar revealed that he often tried to play ODIs with the same mindset as T20 cricket—something he now feels may have backfired. “If I meet him soon, I want to ask AB how he managed to balance T20Is and ODIs. I thought ODIs could be played like T20Is, but clearly, I was wrong,” he admitted.

Making a direct appeal to the Proteas great, he added, “AB, if you’re listening, please get in touch soon! I’ve got three or four crucial years ahead and I’m eager to make a mark in ODI cricket. Please help me — I couldn’t find that balance between the two formats.”

The 35-year-old right-hander has played 35 ODI innings, scoring 773 runs at an average of 25.76, while de Villiers—one of cricket’s all-time greats—accumulated 9,577 runs from 228 ODIs for South Africa.

Suryakumar also commended Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma for their stellar performances in the third T20I against Australia, where both remained unbeaten to guide India to a five-wicket win. “They had been working really hard and were just waiting for their moment. Washi showed great adaptability, Jitesh played sensibly, and Arshdeep was fantastic. It felt like the perfect team combination tonight,” Surya said.

[With TOI inputs]