IPL 2023: Harsha Bhogle explains why Suryakumar Yadav is VVS Laxman of T20 cricket

IPL 2023: Harsha Bhogle has called Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Suryakumar Yadav the VVS Laxman in T20 cricket. The comment from the iconic commentator came after Suryakumar smashed 83 runs off just 35 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing 200. Mumbai lost Rohit Sharma (7 off 8) and Ishan Kishan (42 off 21) in a span of three deliveries in the fifth over. But the two back-to-back blows did not at all bother Suryakumar who blasted seven fours and six sixes to help the five-time champions chase down the target in just 16.3 overs.

The entire cricket fraternity doffed their hats to the brilliance of Surkyakumar. Even Virat Kohli was seen hugging and patting the right-hander post his blazing innings. "I know my game. I don't do anything different," said Suryakumar after winning the Man of the Match award.

However, Bhogle has heaped rich praises on the Mumbai cricketer and called the 'Laxman of T20 cricket'. He explained that Laxam showcased a completely different genre of batting but the artistry of Suryakumar makes him similar to the former India great.

Notably, Laxman with his wristy and effortless batting guided India to many special wins in Test cricket. The middle-order batter had a knack of pulling India out from tough situations with his majestic batting which would leave the opposition clueless and gasping for breath.

"I will tell you who he reminds me of. Very peculiar and I don't know why - their games are chocolate and cheese but the artistry with which he bats he seems Laxman of T20. When Laxman played T20, I remember once I was on-air and he was slogging and I thought Lata Mangeshkar is singing rock 'n' roll," Bhogle said on Cricbuzz after the match.

The six-wicket win helped Mumbai jump to the third spot in the IPL 2023 table. With three more league games left, Mumbai have a fair chance of qualifying for the play-offs.