Following India’s triumphant performance against Australia in the T20 International, Surya Kumar Yadav revealed that he deliberately left the responsibilities of captaincy behind in the dressing room. This decision stemmed from his belief that he should have focused on batting during India’s historic run chase. Suryakumar made an impressive debut as the captain for Team India in the first T20 match against Australia in Visakhapatnam. The match held considerable stakes, with India chasing a challenging target of 209 runs. When Suryakumar took to the crease, India was struggling at 22 for 2, presenting him with a formidable challenge.
Captaincy Debut by Suryakumar Yadav
In the T20I encounter, Suryakumar showcased his fearless brand of cricket, aligning with his pre-game sentiments. He announced his presence with authority, executing a signature pull shot over fine leg for a six off Jason Behrendorff. Teaming up with Ishan Kishan, who was accelerating from the other end, Suryakumar unleashed a barrage of boundaries during the Powerplay, amassing 26 runs from just 12 balls.
Despite losing Kishan, who contributed a well-made 58, Suryakumar maintained his aggressive approach, aiming to reach a half-century in 29 balls. His innings was characterized by a blend of finesse and power, setting a target of 80 runs from 42 balls before eventually getting caught off Aaron Hardie’s delivery. At his dismissal, India required a mere 15 runs from 14 balls.
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Outstanding Team Performance by India in T20
In a thrilling conclusion, India managed to cross the finish line to secure victory by wickets. The stand-in captain expressed his delight during the post-match presentation, commending the team’s collective effort and expressing pride in leading the nation for the first time.
“Very satisfied with the way the men played. I was very happy with their resilience; we were put under pressure, but everyone’s performance was notable. It’s a proud moment, a very proud moment. When you play, you think about representing India, but coming out here and captaining India is a massive moment. I thought there might be a bit of dew, but there wasn’t. It’s not a large ground, and I knew batting would become easier. I thought they might get 230-235, but the bowlers did really well,” stated Suryakumar.
Motivating Ishan Kishan
When discussing his partnership with Kishan, Suryakumar revealed that he encouraged him to enjoy the game and express himself, as they were well aware of what could unfold. “Just enjoy and express yourself. We’ve been in such situations often in cricket. I just told Ishan to enjoy himself. We knew what was going to happen,” said Suryakumar.
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Conclusion
When questioned about juggling the roles of batter and captain during the run chase, Surykumar emphasized that he left the baggage of captaincy in the dressing room. His focus was solely on enjoying his batting. “I left the bags of captaincy in the dressing room. I try to enjoy my batting. The environment was awesome, thanks to the group,” stated Suryakumar.