“I was so excited, I ran in to bat” - Suryakumar Yadav relives his first knock in international cricket
Team India and Mumbai Indians (MI) batsman Suryakumar Yadav has revealed that he was so excited to take strike for the first time in international cricket that he literally ran in to bat.
Suryakumar Yadav made his India debut in the second T20I against England in Ahmedabad in March this year. However, he did not get to bat in that game. After being dropped for the next match, he was recalled for the fourth T20I. Sent in to bat at No.3 as the visitors decided to field first after winning the toss, the 30-year-old hit an attractive 57 from 31 balls.
In a video interaction uploaded on MI’s official Twitter handle, Suryakumar Yadav discussed his first experience of batting in international cricket.
“If you must have seen, I was very excited at that time. Obviously, I wasn’t happy because Rohit (Sharma) had just got out. But when it was going in, I was so excited, I ran in to bat. I had waited for a long time (for this opportunity). Sitting in the dressing room, I had thoughts like - when will the match start? When will my turn come to bat? When I wore my pads and came out to sit in the dugout, I was a little nervous. It is important to be nervous. If you are not nervous, how will you go in and perform?” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Suryakumar Yadav added that at the time of taking strike, he told himself to stick to his natural game that has brought him success, and not try anything different.
“As I was running in to bat, everything started running in my mind. I was thinking what do I do when I bat at number three for other teams, not only for Mumbai Indians, but even for my state back home. I got an answer, when I was taking my guard, that I shouldn’t do anything different. I just need to keep playing as I have done throughout my career. Be yourself. I have reached this point by doing the same things,” Suryakumar added.
Suryakumar Yadav hit six fours and three sixes in his knock before being caught by David Malan off a sweep shot under controversial circumstances. Replays were inconclusive as to whether the fielder had taken the catch cleanly and thus the soft signal of 'out' stayed.
I knew Jofra Archer would bowl a short one: Suryakumar Yadav on his first-ball six
In a fairy-tale start, Suryakumar Yadav hit the first ball he faced in international cricket for a six, with Jofra Archer being the bowler. The MI batsman explained that it was no fluke as he had studied Archer’s bowling pattern in the IPL.
"People often ask me about that first-ball six off Jofra Archer. It was important to stay calm and I knew what he had been doing in the IPL. How he comes hard at the batters and what kind of deliveries he bowls to a new batsman at the crease. Back of the mind, I knew he would bowl that (short ball) delivery. Thankfully, he did. I don’t know what would have happened had be bowled a different ball. But it all worked out well in the end and I am happy,” Suryakumar Yadav explained.
Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged Man of the Match for his knock as India defeated England by eight runs. The 30-year-old scored 32 runs off 17 balls in the next T20I as the hosts clinched the five-match series by a 3-2 margin.