“Watch: Suryakumar Yadav Defends 6 Runs in Thrilling 20th Over, Fans Recall ‘Gautam Gambhir Era'”
Indian cricket fans were on the edge of their seats as T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav bowled the crucial 20th over in the match against Sri Lanka, with the opposition needing just 6 runs to win. Despite not having bowled earlier in the match, Suryakumar managed to concede only 5 runs, pushing the game into a Super Over. His final-over heroics went viral, with fans praising head coach Gautam Gambhir, suggesting a new era in Indian cricket had begun.
With Ramesh Mendis and Kamindu Mendis at the crease, Sri Lanka needed 6 runs to chase down India’s target of 138. Suryakumar delivered an exceptional over:
- Ball 1: Dot
- Ball 2: Kamindu Mendis Out
- Ball 3: Maheesh Theekshana Out
- Ball 4: 1 Run
- Ball 5: 2 Runs
- Ball 6: 2 Runs
Fans credited Gambhir for the successful bowling strategies, including the decision to bowl Rinku Singh in the 19th over. The tied scores led to a Super Over, where Sri Lanka managed only 2 runs, and India clinched victory with a boundary on the first ball by Suryakumar.
After the match, Suryakumar highlighted the Indian batters’ resilience after being 48/5 as the real turning point.
“More than the last over, I feel when we were around 30/4 and 48/5, how the boys showed character in the middle and took the game away from them … I felt 140 was a par score on that track. When we were going in during the fielding session I told them, ‘I have seen such kind of games. If we put our heart in for one and a half hours, we can pull it off.’
“If you are enjoying hitting 200-220s and winning games, you should enjoy 30/4 and 70/5 as well because that creates balance in your life and that’s how you move on and just be humble. The amount of skill they have, the self-confidence that they bring to the table, it makes my job very easy. The positivity they have on the ground and in the dressing room, the care for each other what they show is unbelievable,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
With India completing a 3-0 series sweep in T20Is, attention now turns to the upcoming ODI series.
