The Indian cricket team is full of superstars, there’s no denying that. It’s the presence of players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. that has given the Men in Blue the title of ‘favourites’ in the T20 World Cup 2021. For Pakistan’s great Wasim Akram, however, it’s another player who is expected to be the team’s ‘game-changer’.

Akram remains a keen observer of the game, not just in the Pakistan cricketing spectrum but also international. Having seen the Indian cricket team rise to new heights over the last few years, Akram has been one of the many former cricketers to have been thoroughly impressed.

Ahead of the T20 World Cup, the legendary pacer feels it would be the rookie Suryakumar Yadav who will be the team’s game-changer.

“Suryakumar Yadav will be India’s game-changer. He will change the complexion after the six (Powerplay) overs and I have seen his shots, he was with me (Akram was a mentor) in KKR (back in 2012 and 2014) and now he has improved. What a terrific player he (Surya) has become. He plays safe shots and doesn’t stop, so he should play in that manner only,” Akram was quoted as saying by Aaj Tak.

Akram on Babar vs Kohli

The cricketing icon also had his say on the Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli comparison, asserting it isn’t right for the Pakistan skipper to be involved in this debate considering he is much younger than his Indian counterpart, both in terms of experience and age.

Akram, however, feels Babar will eventually touch similar heights like Kohli.

“Virat is Virat, one of the greats in the world. Babar has just started captaincy but again is a very good player to watch. He is consistent across formats, T20 or ODIs. He is learning the ropes of captaincy as he is a quick learner. It is a journey and Babar will ultimately touch the heights which have been surpassed by Kohli,” he said.

Babar and Kohli will be up against each other on Sunday as India and Pakistan begin their T20 World Cup 2021 journey in Dubai