IPL 2021: Shahrukh Khan can aspire to be like Hardik, says Styris

New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): Playing his first season in the Indian Premier League, Punjab Kings youngster Shahrukh Khan has shown he has the ability to play the finisher's role with bat in hand. While he has only scored 103 runs in five innings so far, he has been scoring at a rate of 135.52 and has looked comfortable in clearing the boundary ropes.

But former New Zealand all-rounder turned commentator Scott Styris feels it is important not to put too much pressure on the youngster. He wants the cricketer to go out and enjoy himself.

"I think that's a lot of pressure to put on his shoulders. I would want to back up that truck a little bit and say no. Just let him play and develop! People develop at different speeds as well. He might take two-three-four seasons to get to a point where he is a reliable finisher," he said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

While comparisons have been made to the likes of Kieron Pollard, Styris doesn't want that to happen. "I don't want to compare anyone with Kieron Pollard, he's 6 foot 5, he's huge. Shahrukh Khan is a big guy as well. Maybe he can look to aspire to be like Hardik Pandya. I've seen a lot of Shahrukh Khan because of my commentary days with the Tamil Nadu Premier League and he was a powerful striker of the ball in that league.

"I am glad to see him go on and do the same thing for the Tamil Nadu side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and that's how he has earned his space. Dominic Cork just talked about players developing and moving on to India. Well, that's what these local leagues do as well, by televising them, by putting them under pressure. They then develop to get into their first-class sides and then into the IPL and then potentially into their national sides as well.
"So, Shahrukh Khan, just let him play like all the uncapped players, just let them develop; learn from the big-named players around them and when that happens, you just don't know what can come from that," he explained. (ANI)