Asia Cup: India skipper Suryakumar’s hilarious reply on his batting demotion; snubs Pakistan mention after win
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav stole the show with his quick wit after batting at number 11 in the Asia Cup group stage match against Oman. Fans were left scratching their heads when the 35-year-old decided to hold back and let his teammates get more time at the crease. Social media buzzed with rumors of an injury, but those worries vanished when Suryakumar walked out to bat in the second innings.
The real reason? India wanted to give players extra practice time in the tournament, where batting opportunities have been scarce. Chatting in the post-match presentation, Suryakumar joked about stepping up earlier next time. He also praised Oman’s strong chase of 189 runs, crediting their coach, deputy head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni—someone he’s known for years.
“Definitely, I’ll try from the next game,” Suryakumar quipped about batting higher than No. 11. “Overall, impressive. Oman played an unbelievable brand of cricket. I knew with their coach Sulu sir, there would be something special from them. It was amazing—I really enjoyed watching them bat.”
Even in the toss, Suryakumar admitted he forgot the team changes. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana came back into the XI, replacing Varun Chakravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah. Both bowlers grabbed a wicket each despite limited recent game time. Arshdeep made history as the first Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets, though he leaked runs. Harshit flashed some real promise but looked a bit raw.
“It’s a little difficult when you’re sitting out and suddenly you come in to play,” Suryakumar said, backing his teammates.
Hardik Pandya had a mixed day. In the first innings, he got out in a weird way on just 1(1). Sanju Samson smashed a fierce shot back at bowler Jitenkumar Ramanandi, who deflected it off his left hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Pandya was way out of his crease. But Hardik bounced back with the ball, dismissing Oman’s Hammad Mirza for 51 before he could cause more damage.
“It’s so humid here. Unfortunate how he got out, but you can’t keep him away from the game,” Suryakumar said of Pandya’s bowling heroics.
Now, India heads back to Dubai for their Super Four showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan. Their last meeting was packed with thrills, but when asked about it, Suryakumar kept it cool: “All set for Super Fours.”
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