Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The bond between Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma has long been cherished by Indian cricket fans, and a heartwarming moment ahead of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener against the USA captured it perfectly. As Suryakumar walked out for the toss at the Wankhede Stadium, he spotted Rohit passing by, briefly stepped away and ran across to hug his former skipper. The gesture drew loud cheers from the crowd, with the video quickly going viral on social media.Moments later, Suryakumar led from the front in far tougher circumstances, producing a magnificent unbeaten 84 off 49 balls to rescue India from a dramatic collapse and guide them to a defendable 161 for 9.
India were reeling at 77 for 6 in the 13th over after USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk ripped through the top and middle order with figures of 4 for 25, dismissing Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube in a decisive burst.Suryakumar counter-attacked with authority, finding boundaries at will and ensuring India had something to bowl at. The bowlers then delivered a disciplined performance to secure a 29-run victory and start the campaign on a winning note.Mohammad Siraj, drafted into the XI after Jasprit Bumrah fell ill, rose to the occasion with a lion-hearted spell of 3 for 29. Arshdeep Singh (2/18) and Axar Patel (2/24) provided excellent support as the USA were restricted to 132 for 9 in their chase.Siraj struck early to remove openers Andries Gous and Saiteja Mukkamalla, while Arshdeep sent back skipper Monank Patel for a duck as the USA slipped to 13 for 3. Sanjay Krishnamurthi and Milind Kumar added some resistance, but regular breakthroughs kept India in control. Despite spirited knocks from Krishnamurthi, Milind Kumar and Shubham Ranjane, the USA fell short, handing India their second World Cup victory over them.
