[Watch] Suryakumar Yadav takes 2 wickets for 5 runs in final over to force a Super Over in 3rd IND vs SL T20I
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav unveiled a new avatar in T20I cricket by turning into a death bowler on Tuesday, July 30. He took the responsibility of defending six runs in the last over of the third T20I against Sri Lanka. He did the job for his team by conceding five runs while picking up two wickets.
India batted first in the contest after losing the toss and made 137/9 in 20 overs on a tricky surface. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav (8) and Rinku Singh (1) endured an off day with the bat as they departed without scoring much. However, the duo turned things around unexpectedly in the second innings with the ball.
Sri Lanka found themselves on the brink of a win, needing nine runs from the last two overs, with six wickets in hand. Rinku Singh bowled the 19th over and picked up two wickets while giving only three runs. Suryakumar Yadav then took the ball for the first time in T20Is and ensured the match went into a Super Over with a brilliant bowling effort.
You can watch the Surya's 20th over in the video below:
It was one-way traffic in Super Over, with India dominating completely. Washington Sundar set things up with the ball, taking two wickets after giving only two runs. Surya then hit a boundary on the very first ball, sealing the fate of the match in India's favor.
"I don't want to be the captain, I want to be a leader"- Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav after series win vs Sri Lanka
Suryakumar Yadav received the Player of the Series award at the post-match presentation after the third T20I for his magnificent captaincy and batting performances. Reflecting on the win in the final T20I, Surya said:
"I think more than the last over, I feel when we were around 30/4 and 48/5 showed the character of the team. 140 was par for the course and I felt we could pull it off. See if you are enjoying scoring 200 220 then you should also enjoy scoring 130 140 which balances things out."
He continued:
"The amount of skill and self confidence they have, it makes my job easy. The positivity they have on the ground, the care for each other is unbelievable. The other guys who played the first two matches put their hands up and said you rest us today and give chances to others. I don't want to be the captain, I want to be a leader as I said before the series."
Were you impressed with Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy in this T20I series? Let us know your views on the matter in the comments section.