"I don't know what would have happened if he had pitched a yorker" - Suryakumar Yadav on his famous first-ball six against Jofra Archer
Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav revisited his iconic first-ball six off Jofra Archer during his maiden international innings against England. The Mumbai-born batter hoicked the speedster's short-pitched delivery over fine leg to begin his career in national colors with a bang.
He went on to score 57 runs off 31 deliveries in the T20I game and won the Player of the Match award.
His promising start on the international circuit helped him earn a place in the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka before he represented the nation at the T20 World Cup 2021.
♀️Raise your hands if your head rings with this six off Jofra Archer in his first delivery in international cricket every time Suryakumar Yadav bats 🙋♀️
#SLvsIND
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Stating that he had a feeling Archer would steam in and bowl a short-pitched delivery as it was his maiden international innings, Suryakumar told Cricket Monthly:
"I was a little predetermined. I don't know what would have happened if he had pitched a yorker. I was ready for that ball, not for that shot."
Explaining why he tends to run out to the pitch rather than the traditional slow walk out to the middle while coming out to bat, the right-handed batter said:
There are a lot of butterflies in my stomach, and that is how I relax them. I run, stretch a bit, and by the time I'm reaching the pitch, I'm already warmed up. I don't want to go there, take stance, run the first run really hard and then I'm warmed up."
The Mumbai-born batter often has the tendency to begin his innings with a boundary. His fearless, brazen approach allows the side to be proactive, especially in the middle overs.
"It was very important to land that first punch" - Suryakumar Yadav on hitting a six off the very first delivery he faced in international cricket
The right-handed batter had to wait a significant while before making his debut for Team India.
Despite consistent numbers in the IPL since 2018, Suryakumar made his international debut at the age of 30, with the wait being far too long when compared with his peers.
Ready to get going 💪 https://t.co/kL9AsOIVqa
Opining that the first-ball six was crucial in setting the tempo, something which he had discussed with then-head coach Ravi Shastri earlier on itself, Suryakumar said:
"First punch! Arre, bahut jaroori tha na. First impact bahut jaroori tha [It was very important to land that first punch]. If you see, when Rohit got out, I literally ran towards the pitch, so I was that excited. I just wanted to go out there and bat wearing that India jersey."
Speaking about his penchant for hitting boundaries early on in his innings, much like the one in his maiden international innings, he said:
"When I actually run in to bat, I'm already warmed up, I'm excited. So if I have to stamp my authority when I go in to bat, if I have to tell the opponent that I am here for some business and I am here to score runs, what do I do? I hit a boundary off the first ball. That's my style of playing."
Suryakumar had to wait 10 long years to represent India after making his first-class debut at the age of 20.
Did Suryakumar Yadav have the most memorable debut innings in recent times? Let us know what you think.
Also Read: "Do the things you do, don't think too much" - Suryakumar Yadav on Ravi Shastri's pep talk ahead of his Team India debut