Suryakumar Yadav, newly appointed as India’s T20I captain, began his tenure with a victory in the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday. India secured a win by 43 runs, and Yadav now has the opportunity to clinch the series with a win in the second T20I on Sunday.
Under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, India set a target of 213/7 after being asked to bat first. Yadav contributed significantly with 58 off 26 balls. Alongside him, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 40 off 21 balls, and Shubman Gill added 34 off 16, forming a 74-run partnership during the powerplay.
Yadav then combined with Rishabh Pant, who made 49, to add another crucial 76 runs. Axar Patel’s quick 10 from five balls was instrumental in reaching the final total. The bowlers then took on the challenge of defending this score.
Sri Lanka began their chase well, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 79 and Kusal Mendis adding 45 as they accumulated 84 runs in the first nine overs. Arshdeep Singh broke their partnership, but Nissanka continued to perform, adding 56 runs with Kusal Perera, who scored 20.
Axar Patel delivered a crucial blow in the 16th over by dismissing both Nissanka and Perera, severely affecting Sri Lanka’s chase. Unable to recover from this setback, Sri Lanka lost their last nine wickets for just 30 runs, collapsing from a strong position of 140/1 to be all out for 170. India made a dramatic comeback.
Suryakumar Yadav, maintaining composure as captain, made key bowling changes. Introducing Riyan Parag proved effective as Parag took three wickets, including the final one for Sri Lanka.
The spin duo of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi exerted continuous pressure, allowing Parag to capitalize and take wickets. Sri Lanka’s attempts to attack Parag led to a flurry of wickets, hastening their downfall.
Watch Suryakumar Yadav’s Take On India’s First T20I Win Against Sri Lanka
In a video posted by BCCI after the game, SKY spoke about his decision-making on the field and spoke about his overall impression of his first win as India’s T20I captain. He also spoke about the thought behind giving Parag the ball.
“Riyan Parag is special with the ball, I have seen him bowl in the nets in the IPL and even in the press conference, I said that he has an X-factor in him as a player. If batters like him bowl a few overs my job as captain becomes easier” he said on Parag.
SKY then spoke about his knock with the bat. He scored a fifty in his very first innings as India’s full-time T20I skipper. He scored 58 off 26 balls with eight fours and two sixes striking at a strike rate of 223.08. he was awarded the Men of the Match for his knock as he equaled Virat Kohli’s tally of 16 MOMs in the T20I format.
“I needed to set the tempo given the situation we were in from the batting point of view. I knew the batting depth we had and trusted the other batters to get the job done even if I was dismissed cheaply. I want to become a leader, not a captain” said SKY.
He ended his interaction by speaking about playing in Sri Lanka and the love and support the team received from the crowd.
“It was pleasing to see the support from the fans in Sri Lanka. The distance between the two countries is not that much, just a two and a half hours flight and we reach and thus it feels like we are playing in India only. The support from the gans was good to see and if we continue getting the support from the fans, it will inspire us to do our job as cricketers” Surya concluded saying.
