“If you don’t get butterflies in your stomach…”: Suryakumar on overcoming poor record against Pakistan

Suryakumar Yadav Shines in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Thriller

In a nail-biting Asia Cup match in Dubai, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav finally broke his poor record against Pakistan. After guiding his team to a comfortable seven-wicket win, Suryakumar opened up about the pressure, his key knock, and the team’s smart strategies. Chasing 128 runs, India sealed the victory with 25 balls to spare, staying unbeaten in Group A with two wins from two games.

Suryakumar admitted the rivalry added extra spice. Before this game, he had just 64 runs in five innings against Pakistan, averaging a low 12.80 with a best of 18. But on Saturday, the pressure cooker atmosphere—fueled by India-Pakistan tensions—brought out his best. He smashed an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls, including five fours and a six, to anchor the chase and finish the job.

"Pressure is part of the game," Suryakumar said with a smile during the post-match press conference. "Playing without it? Where’s the fun in that? You need those butterflies to feel alive. Stats go up and down, but you just keep improving. If it went wrong today, I’d head back to the drawing board. Staying till the end felt amazing—it was crucial."

The Indian skipper also praised the team’s flexible batting approach. "Except for our openers, everyone’s ready to bat anywhere," he explained. "In T20 cricket, with seven batters, everyone chips in. Flexibility makes us unstoppable." This mindset helped after India lost two early wickets in the powerplay.

Suryakumar was all smiles about his spinners too, especially on his 35th birthday. He let Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy bowl their full four overs each—a "return gift" to them. "These guys work so hard in practice and stick to their plans," he said. "It makes my captaincy easy. Kuldeep was with the Test team in England but didn’t play—yet he trained like a beast on bowling and fitness. He won us two matches already!"

Kuldeep starred with 3/18, while Axar took 2/18. Suryakumar highlighted Axar’s smarts: "He practices against left-handers a ton, and has special plans for righties. His batting? We saw it in the Champions Trophy—he’ll grab any chance." Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah backed them up perfectly, with Bumrah grabbing 2/28.

On using Bumrah for three powerplay overs—a new tactic—Suryakumar called it an attacking move. "Bumrah’s world-class, everyone knows that. We’ve used him for one or two overs early, but three? We wanted to test it. If he grabs wickets or keeps it tight, our spinners get breathing room. It sets up Hardik and Shivam Dube for middle and death overs."

Now, let’s rewind to the match. Pakistan won the toss and batted first but crumbled to 6/2. Sahibzada Farhan (40 off 44, with a four and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (17 off 15, three fours) added 39 runs to steady things. But India struck back, reducing them to 97/8. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s late fireworks (33* off 16, four sixes) pushed Pakistan to 127/9.

India’s chase kicked off with Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 31 off 13 balls—four boundaries and two sixes—for a flying start. After losing quick wickets, Suryakumar and Tilak Varma (31 off 31, two fours) stitched a vital 56-run stand. Suryakumar then took charge, partnering Shivam Dube (10*) to cross the line.

Kuldeep Yadav earned Player of the Match for his brilliant spell. With this win, India tops Group A in the Asia Cup 2024, keeping their title hopes alive. Suryakumar’s leadership and the bowlers’ fire made it a memorable day in the India vs Pakistan rivalry.

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