Despite resting their top players, India managed to beat Sri Lanka in a nail-biter of a game and clinched the series 3-0.
The camaraderie in the Indian cricket team dressing room is as strong as ever. Coming off the back of winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, the unit is one, and it showed today. Similar to what they did on June 29 in Barbados, the Men in Blue snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat in the IND vs SL 3rd T20I. All that happened due to the strong belief every player has in their teammate’s abilities.
From Sri Lanka needing just 30 runs in the last five overs with 9 wickets in hand to somehow win the match is no small feat. What made the feat possible? Well, it was a combination of decisions made by captain Suryakumar Yadav along with incredible performances by the players.
Leader Suryakumar Yadav
To start with, Surya decided to bring in Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, and Khaleel Ahmed. The move worked like a charm as Washington ended up getting the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his 25(18), 2/23 in his 4 overs, and then 2/2 in the Super Over. However, to bring in three of these players, Surya had to rest others, especially the big guns, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Rishabh Pant.
After India claimed the victory and the series, Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the three put their hands up and said that those who haven’t gotten the chance to play should be given a go for the dead rubber. “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 the leader, as I said before the series,” the Indian captain said in the post-match interview.
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