Following India’s impressive seven-wicket triumph over Pakistan in the Asia Cup, a seemingly minor incident involving Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube returning to the dressing room without the traditional handshake with opponents surprisingly drew more headlines than the thrilling cricket match itself on that sweltering Sunday evening.
Despite the intense scrutiny over the past two days, Suryakumar’s crucial knock of 47 not out from 37 balls was far more significant than it appeared, ending a period of inconsistent form. This innings marked only his third score above 40 since he assumed the captaincy in July 2024, following India’s T20 World Cup victory. His previous eight innings before the Asia Cup saw a top score of just 21, and as captain, he had amassed a modest 312 runs at an average of 22.28 across 17 matches. This recent struggle was particularly noticeable given his exceptional form before taking on the leadership role.
Given the high stakes of the match against arch-rivals Pakistan, the usually flamboyant Mumbai batsman intelligently curbed his signature behind-the-wicket strokes, focusing instead on securing the win. Reflecting on his approach, the Indian captain shared in a media interaction, “Naturally, there’s pressure when you play any team. In fact, if you don’t feel that pressure, it’s not truly enjoyable. My statistics have fluctuated, but that’s the nature of the game; you constantly strive for improvement. Even in this match, despite any ups and downs, I embraced it. My primary goal was to see the game through, and I’m pleased with how I achieved that.”
Beyond his composed performance during the match, Suryakumar also handled the post-match media obligations with grace, politely clarifying his team’s stance on the handshake incident with Pakistan’s players. This ability to calmly manage difficult situations will be vital as India heads into next year’s T20 World Cup, where the team will face immense pressure to defend their title.
Throughout India’s two matches in this tournament, Suryakumar consistently took to the crease at number three, irrespective of whether Abhishek Sharma or Shubman Gill, the left-right opening pair, was dismissed. He further emphasized that no one in the middle order is rigid about their batting position.
He asserted, “Every player in the team, apart from the opening batsmen, must be ready to bat at any given position. This kind of batting flexibility transforms us into a truly formidable team.”