India rode on Suryakumar Yadav's bellegerent knock that blew away Hong Kong and earned Men in Blue a facile 40-run victory which paved their way to Asia Cup 2022's Super Fours on Wednesday (August 31).
Meanwhile India's star player Ravindra Jadeja achieved a rare feat in the Asia Cup history to become Team India's most successful all-rounder in the marquee tournament.
Jadeja shone with the willow in India's opening game against the arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 as he struck an instrumental 35 off 29 which played a key role in Men in Blue's five-wicket victory. Although he remained wicket-less in that match. But in the second match against Hong Kong, Jadeja managed to snare a wicket and was the standout bowler during the game. He sent back Babar Hyat for 41 off 35 ball which took his total wicket tally in the Asia Cup, between 2010 to 2022, to 23, one more than the previous best of 22 wickets which was recorded by former India's star all-rounder Irfan Pathan.
With this Jadeja became India's most successful all-rounder in the Asia Cup history.
In his inaugural Asia Cup in 2010, Jadeja claimed four wickets. He then claimed one in 2012 and seven in the 2014 competition. He then claimed three wickets in the 2016 edition of the competition before recording seven kills in the 2018 Asia Cup. He has one wicket so far in the ongoing Asia Cup.
In 2018, he had his most successful Asia Cup with the ball. He took seven scalps in four encounters at an average of 22.28 and an economy rate of 4.45.
In the event, his best bowling figures were 4/29. He was ranked fifth in the bowling rankings and India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the competition, after only Jasprit Bumrah (8) and Kuldeep Yadav (10).
Talking about the match, India were not at their best but Suryakumar Yadav was, his 26-ball 68.
Suryakumar's scintillating knock lifted a sedate India to 192/2, the Mumbaikar easily overshadowing Virat Kohli's fluent half-century after Hong Kong opted to bowl first.
Hong Kong were off to a good start with the bat, but the 193-run target proved to be too much for them, ending at 152/5 in the stipulated 20 overs.
Suryakumar orchestrated the carnage while Kohli made an unbeaten 59 from 44 balls, his first international fifty in more than six months, as India amassed 78 runs in the final five overs.
Arshdeep Singh (1/44) gave the breakthrough, while Ravindra Jadeja effected a direct hit to remove skipper Nizakat Khan and then dismissed their top-scorer Bahar Hayat (41) to derail their chase.
Hong Kong's scoring rate dropped considerably after the powerplay, with just 14 runs coming in four overs, and the Indian spinners made things difficult with Jadeja (1/15 in 4 overs) leading the show in a tidy spell, three days after he impressed with the bat against Pakistan.
This was India's fifth consecutive win in T20Is as they entered the Super 4 as Group A toppers with two victories from as many matches. India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in their opener here on Sunday.
