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

Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris talked about the promise of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) young, explosive middle-order batter Shahrukh Khan.

Shahrukh has shown impressive power-hitting ability in the PBKS colours in the IPL 2021 so far, scoring 103 runs at a strike-rate of 130.37 from 7 outings in what is his debut season in the league after being picked at the auction in February for a sum of INR 5.25 crores.

With good initial performances under his belt, Shahrukh Khan is now carrying a sense of expectations behind him but Styris feels it’s important for fans outside and also the PBKS think-tank to not put too much pressure on the 25-year-old.

“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,” Styris was quoted as saying on Star Sports’ show ‘Cricket Connected’.

Shahrukh Khan impressed IPL franchises with his exploits at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament earlier this year, where he batted at an astonishing strike-rate of 220.00 from his 4 outings as a lower middle-order batsman.

Scott Styris says Shahrukh Khan can aspire to be like Hardik Pandya

For Styris, it would be too early for people to compare the young man with West Indies and Mumbai Indians’ (MI) renowned power-hitter, Kieron Pollard. But Shahrukh can aspire to become someone like Hardik Pandya in time to come.

“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.”

Styris said it’s important to let players like Shahrukh Khan go through the usual development process and fulfil their potential with time and experience.

“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 concluded.