Surya kumar Yadav is a right-handed batsman who competes for the Mumbai cricket team in local tournaments as well as the Indian national team. In the IPL, Surya kumar also represents the Mumbai Indians, and his time with the team is largely responsible for his rise to international fame.
Surya kumar Yadav’s remarkable story took another turn from there on as he became the World Cup’s second-highest run-scorer alongside Hashim Amla of South Africa by clocking up 393 runs – the most by a non- opener in a single T20I tournament.
Surya kumar Yadav 281 runs in the Super 10 stage – 17 more than Imran Tahir of South Africa and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan – was also an unmatched stat until England’s Alex Hales broke it with 415 runs under his belt.
Yadav’s World Cup Journey
Surya kumar Yadav was handed his Test cap back in 2016 against Sri Lanka at home. It was an eventful Test with the selectors handing him a Test cap in the only Bangladesh Test and then again at home against Sri Lanka.
Surya kumar Yadav did not have a memorable Test career with just seven matches to his name, aggregating 249 runs at an average of 22.72 with a solitary fifty to his name. Surya was handed his T20I cap during the Australian tour in 2016. He was part of the squad for the entire series against Australia and New Zealand and was not given a chance to play.
Surya was again part of the squad for the home series against New Zealand and Australia and was again ignored for the playing XI. With the T20I series against New Zealand and Australia coming up after the World Cup, Surya kumar Yadav will be looking to make his mark in the format.
An Unbelievable Run for the Ages
Yadav’s 281 runs in the Super 10 stage was an unmatched stat until England’s Alex Hales broke it with 415 runs under his belt. Yadav played just five matches for India in the tournament, but he scored 393 runs at a strike rate of 170. Surya is the highest total by any batsman in a single T20I tournament. It is also the second-most by any batsman in a single World Cup, next only to Vivian Richards’ 523 runs in the 1979 edition. It is also the most by an Indian batsman in a single World Cup.
The previous highest-scorer among Indian players was Ricky Ponting, who scored 329 runs in 2003. Surya kumar bagged Man of the Tournament honors as he was at the helm of India winning their maiden World Cup title.
Player Review: What Went Right for Surya kumar?
Surya kumar Yadav came into the tournament with an average of 21.90 in T20Is making him one of the big questions marks of the T20 World Cup. His last T20I was in September 2018 when India played Australia in the three-match series, losing the series 2-1. Surya made his way back into the team due to his impeccable domestic form.
He scored 613 runs in the domestic season at a staggering average of 78. Surya was outstanding in his first two games when he did not get many chances and in the third game, against India’s biggest rivals, he did not get many chances either. Surya kumar Yadav was dismissed for 8 when India was at a score of just 71.
India lost that match by five runs. He had no opportunity to bat in the next two games. When India played Australia in what was deemed to be a must-win game, Surya kumar Yadav was given a chance and he took it with both hands.
He scored 46 runs off just 32 balls, a knock that was instrumental in India pulling off the win. He was the Man of the Match in the final with an unbeaten knock of 82 off 53 balls. This knock took the game away from Australia and put the hosts in the driver’s seat.
Player Review: What Went Wrong for Surya kumar?
Surya kumar Yadav did not get much game time in the World Cup. He played five matches, scored 393 runs, and was not dismissed for less than 40 runs in any of those five matches. He played just five games in the tournament and had 26 innings to his name. This is the joint-most in a single World Cup along with Richards.
However, if we look at it as a negative, then we can say that he was exposed to a lot of pressure in a very short period of time and that could have a bearing on his future form.
In the first game against New Zealand, he was dismissed for eight, a score that he has not crossed in the last two years. He has not been dismissed for a score less than 40 since July 2017. And in the game against Australia, he was not given many opportunities after scoring 46 runs in that game.
Conclusion
Surya kumar Yadav’s World Cup journey is remarkable because he was not even a part of the squad when India embarked on their tournament journey. He stormed his way back into the team after two games (and two losses) and then went on to score 393 runs – the most by a non-opener in a single T20I tournament. His 281 runs in the Super 10 stage was an unmatched stat until England’s Alex Hales broke it with 415 runs under his belt in the final. Yadav was the Man of the Tournament as well as he was at the helm of India winning their maiden World Cup title.
