"I think after 14th December, today is the day where I fielded for 20 overs and batted for almost 18 overs" - Suryakumar Yadav on his second IPL ton
Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Suryakumar recorded his second IPL hundred after scoring an unbeaten 102 runs off 51 deliveries in the win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It came at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday, May 6.
Suryakumar Yadav rescued MI from 31-3, with Tilak Varma playing the perfect second fiddle. The right-handed batter had to be patient initially as Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were bowling a potent spell. However, in typical fashion, it didn't take too long for him to break the shackles and bat in his usual tempo.
After five consecutive dot balls to open the innings, the No.1 T20 batter proceeded to hit six boundaries off his next nine deliveries to shift the momentum completely. As the partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma blossomed, it became certain that MI would claim the win.
At one point, however, it seemed like the right-handed batter might just miss out on the ton. He made a final push with three consecutive boundaries off Cummins in the 17th over. He then hit a six against T Natarajan to reach the landmark three-figure and seal the points win.
Suryakumar Yadav spoke about the importance of the knock after coming from a significant injury layoff after being adjudged as Player of the Match for his exploits.
He said:
"I've been doing this after a very long time. I think after 14th December, today is the day where I fielded for 20 overs and batted for almost 18 overs. So, it is a little bit tired, but hopefully tomorrow it will be better. I feel that it was the need of the hour today, three wickets down when I came in and someone had to be there till the end, and that is what I did."
December 14 marked the date for the third T20I between India and South Africa, the contest where Suryakumar Yadav had suffered the fateful injury. Leading the side, he had scored his fourth T20I hundred, guiding India to 201-7. But he twisted his ankle while fielding as India skittled out the hosts for just 95 runs.
The ace batter largely played as an impact sub for the majority of the tournament after missing the first few matches for MI at the start. He hadn't received clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru following his recovery from an ankle injury and a hernia operation.
"I knew that the dew was heavy, and once the seam goes off, it will be easy for a batter to play" - Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav had an inconsistent 2024 campaign up until this point, which began with a duck against the Delhi Capitals (DC). He scored fifties against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in winning causes. But there wasn't much noteworthy across the rest of his campaign.
"I knew that the dew was heavy, and once the seam goes off, it will be easy for a batter to play, so I just enjoyed my time. I played a lot of first-class cricket for Mumbai and a lot of games at the Wankhede, I know what's the right option when the ball is seaming. When the ball stopped seaming, I played all my shots which I practice in the nets," Suryakumar said.
The hundred comes at an excellent time for Team India as the 2024 T20 World Cup inches closer. He still has a handful of matches to polish his form in the business end of the 2024 IPL.