Suryakumar Yadav was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning half-century against New Zealand in the first match of three-T20I series. Suryakumar played almost a chanceless inning in the run chase but had a little luck after he got to his half-century as his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Trent Boult dropped a simple catch in the 16th over.
The no.3 batter rued the opportunity to finish the game for India as he said in the post-match presentation, “I would have loved to finish the game but that's how you learn and move forward. About Trent, It's my wife's birthday also and it's a perfect gift from him.”
Despite the dropped catch, Suryakumar could not add much to his tally as Boult bowled the next over and dismissed him. The Mumbai batter went for a scoop shot but missed the ball completely and it hit his stumps. He scored 62 runs from 40 deliveries including six fours and three sixes. It was the 31-year-old’s third half-century in T20Is.
On being asked whether he is doing something different in the nets during his preparations, Suryakumar said that he is doing the same he has been for the last two to three years.
“I have not been doing anything different, just being myself whatever I have doing since the last 3-4 years. I bat the same way in the nets and replicate the same in the middle. I try and put a lot of pressure on myself in the nets, for example if I get out I just try to come out of the nets and try and think what better I could have done and it really helps when I play in the middle,” he explained.
After a few hiccups in the death overs, India won the first T20I by five wickets with two balls to spare. Rishabh Pant hit a four to finish off the 165-run chase.
