Suryakumar Yadav’s Critical Mistake Almost Costs India the 3rd T20I Against Sri Lanka

India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, made a crucial error that nearly cost the team the third and final T20I against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The game, held in Pallekele, saw India setting a target of 138 runs. As Sri Lanka approached the final moments of their innings, their batting faltered, allowing India to stage a remarkable comeback.

With Sri Lanka needing 5 runs from the last two balls to win, Chamindu Wickramasinghe hit a fuller delivery from Yadav to long-off and attempted a quick couple. The throw from long-off reached the non-striker’s end where Asitha Fernando was in a position to be run out. However, Yadav mishandled the opportunity. Although he gathered the ball in time, instead of breaking the stumps at the non-striker’s end, he threw it to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson at the opposite end. This mistake allowed the Sri Lankan batsmen to secure the double and kept their hopes alive.

The missed run-out proved significant as Sri Lanka managed to take the match into a Super Over. Nevertheless, India prevailed in the Super Over with a commanding performance.

Reflecting on the match, Suryakumar Yadav said, “Beyond the last over, I think it was crucial how we fought back from 30/4 and 48/5. The team’s resilience in those moments was key. I believed 140 was a par score on that pitch. Before heading out for the field, I told the team that with wholehearted effort for one and a half hours, we could turn the game around.”

He further remarked, “If you enjoy scoring 200-220 runs and winning matches, you should also appreciate the challenges of being at 30/4 or 70/5. Such experiences bring balance to life and foster humility.”