Suryakumar Yadav came to Jasprit Bumrah's defence after latter's rough day in India's thumping win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four clash on September 21. India annihilated Pakistan by six wickets to kick off their Super Four campaign in style at the Dubai International stadium. The game saw India successfully chase down Pakistan's 172-run target, thanks to an outstanding batting display by openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Suryakumar Yadav backs Jasprit Bumrah after ordinary day with the ball
They completely neutralised India's ace pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, in the powerplay. In his three overs, Bumrah leaked 34 runs and failed to take a single wicket, marking his most expensive powerplay performance in T20Is. Bumrah finished with the bowling figure of 45/0. When asked about Bumrah's rusty spell Suryakumar said Bumrah isn't a robot, he will have a bad days someday.
"The way the boys are stepping up in every game, it's making my job very easy. The boys showed a lot of character. They were calm after the first 10 overs (of India's bowling innings). After drinks, I told them the game starts now. That's fine, he's not a robot, he will have a bad day someday (talking about Bumrah). Dube bailed us out of the situation. They complement each other really well (Abhishek and Gill). It's like a fire and ice combination. After the first innings, our fielding coach - T Dilip, has emailed all players who had butter fingers today," Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation.
Talking about the match, India's chase got off to a blistering start with Abhishek Sharma's aggressive hitting. He reached his half-century in just 24 balls and finished with a quickfire 74 off 39 balls, which included six fours and five sixes. His partner, Shubman Gill, provided a steady and crucial contribution, scoring 47 before being dismissed. Their 100-run partnership made the target seem well within reach. Tilak then wrapped up the chase with blistering 19-ball 30.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan led Pakistan's innings with a score of 58 off 45 balls. However, the Indian bowlers, particularly Shivam Dube, who took two important wickets, applied pressure and kept the scoring rate in check during the final overs. Despite a late effort from Faheem Ashraf, Pakistan's total of 171 was ultimately not enough on a good batting pitch.
India will now face Bangladesh in their next Super Four clash which is scheduled to be played on September 24