Abu Dhabi: India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav won fans over with his witty response after making a surprise entry at number 11 against Oman in the final group stage match of the ongoing Asia Cup.
Spectators and experts were taken aback as Suryakumar deliberately pushed himself down the order, letting the rest of the batting lineup take center stage. Social media buzzed with speculation about a possible injury, but the doubts were quickly dismissed when he came out to bat in the second innings.
The most likely reason behind his unusual move appeared to be India giving their players valuable time at the crease, something they had been short of in the tournament. Joking about batting higher in the next game, the 35-year-old also praised Oman’s chase of the 189-run target, noting the influence of their deputy coach, Sulakshan Kulkarni, whom Suryakumar knows personally.
“Definitely, I’ll try from the next game,” he quipped about batting higher than No.11. “Overall, Oman played unbelievable cricket. I knew, with their coach, Sulu sir (Sulakshan Kulkarni), there would be something special from them. It was amazing—I really enjoyed watching them bat,” he said during the post-match presentation.
Meanwhile, India’s final XI saw the return of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, replacing Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah. Both made notable contributions despite limited match practice, with each picking up a wicket. Arshdeep also became the first Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets, although he was somewhat expensive, while Harshit showed flashes of brilliance despite appearing a bit raw. “It’s always difficult when you suddenly come in and play after sitting out,” Suryakumar remarked, defending the duo’s performance.
Hardik Pandya, bowling alongside Arshdeep and Harshit, had an unusual dismissal in the first innings. Sanju Samson hit the ball straight back to the bowler, Jitenkumar Ramanandi, and while attempting to catch it, deflected it with his left hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Pandya, well past the crease, was run out for 1 off 1 ball. Despite this misfortune with the bat, he impressed with the ball, removing set-batter Hammad Mirza, who was on 51. “It’s so humid here. Unfortunate how he got out, but you can’t keep him away from the game—the way he bowled and the way he got out,” Suryakumar said.
India now heads to Dubai for their Super Four clash against arch-rival Pakistan. When asked about the upcoming fixture, Suryakumar tactfully avoided mentioning Pakistan, simply saying, “All set for Super Fours.”
