Because of consistency in format, he is No. 1 T20 player: Rahul Dravid heaps praise on Suryakumar Yadav

Melbourne [Australia], November 6 (ANI): After Team India clinched a 71-run win over Zimbabwe, India head coach Rahul Dravid heaped praise on star batter Suryakumar Yadav whose blistering unbeaten knock of 61 helped Men in Blue clinched the win in their last match of the Super 12 Stage.
Suryakumar Yadav played yet another breathtaking knock of an unbeaten 61 from 25 balls followed by superb bowling from the bowlers that helped India bundle out Zimbabwe for 115 to clinch a 71-run win in their final Group 2, Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Melbourne on Sunday.
Dravid that because of star batter's consistent blistering form in the format and his hard work, he is the number one T20 player in the world.
Suryakumar's stunning knock was decorated with six fours and four sixes.
"I think it is incredible and that's why he is the number one T20 player in the world. With that consistency in a format where scoring at the strike rate that he does....... it's not easy to be consistent.. I think it is fantastic with the way he is playing and scoring. He is very clear about his tactics. I think he worked very hard you know I think one of the things about Surya is the amount of hard work that he put in in the nets," Dravid said during a post-match conference.
Talking about if the head coach has instructed the players to play differently in today's match, Dravid said, "Nothing I have never instructed them to do anything extra. You do not need to do anything extra. These guys are very excited and motivated before going into the game. We stick to our plans."
Axar Patel was the most expensive bowler on India's side as he conceded 40 runs in just 3.2 overs with bagging one wicket. India head coach backed the bowler and said," It happens in this format. Axar has been bowling really well in the last few months. I think he bowled a very good over against Bangladesh."
Talking about India's match against England on Thursday in the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Dravid said, "If somebody missed out on the games it does not mean we can't go back to him. We might the same way or we might go a different way as well. We just want to ensure that we have our options open."
"As I said earlier we keep an open mind about our 15-player squad. In the other games, we will look at the conditions and oppositions to choose from. We look at all the players in the 15 to play. We decide to play eleven as per conditions and opposition. I think I can't sit here and predict what will happen in Adelaide," he added.
"Strike rate in every situation and ground us differently. This wicket 170-180 was a good wicket. Adelaide was a tough wicket to chase in the conditions. So, there is no fixed strike rate. It depends from ground to ground," said the the India head coach.
Coming to India's match against Zimbabwe, Men in Blue posted 186/5 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first. KL Rahul (51) and Virat Kohli (26) put a 60-run stand for the second wicket, but Sean Williams (2/9) squeezed some momentum out of their innings. However, Suryakumar Yadav (61*) made sure things finished well for Men in Blue.
Sean Williams (2/9) was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe. Raza, Muzarbani and Ngarava took a wicket each.
Chasing 187, Zimbabwe never really looked like a threat. Except for a 60-run stand for the sixth wicket between Raza (34) and Ryan Burl (35), Indian bowlers had all the control. Zimbabwe was bundled out for 115 runs in 17.2 overs and lost the match by 71 runs.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3/22) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Pacers Mohammad Shami and Hardik Pandya got two wickets each. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel got one wicket each.
Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged as 'Man of the Match' for his fine half-century.
Brief Scores: India 186/5: (Suryakumar Yadav 61*, KL Rahul 51, Sean Williams 2/9) vs Zimbabwe 115 (Ryan Burl 35, Sikandar Raza 34; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-22). (ANI)