Suryakumar Yadav Holds Firm as India Recover From Early Collapse

On a difficult Wankhede pitch that offered grip and uneven pace, Suryakumar Yadav delivered a captain’s innings, finishing unbeaten on 84 to steer India to 161 for 9 against USA in their T20 World Cup fixture.

The final margin — a 29-run victory — did not fully reflect how precarious the situation had been. India were struggling at 77 for 6 midway through the innings on a surface that made clean hitting extremely challenging.

Unlike the traditionally flat Wankhede tracks that favour strokeplay, this pitch behaved unpredictably. The ball held in the surface, cutters gripped sharply, and spinners extracted enough turn to make timing difficult. USA’s bowlers, mixing pace variations and disciplined lines outside off stump, restricted India’s scoring options effectively.

Suryakumar’s innings was built on calculated risk rather than recklessness. He chose to trust his range — sweeping the spinners despite the grip, and continuing to target the leg side against seamers operating with angle and change-ups. His ability to generate power without relying purely on pace off the pitch allowed him to access scoring areas others struggled to find.

A dropped return chance early in his innings gave him an opportunity, but from there he controlled the tempo. While wickets fell regularly at the other end, he maintained composure and ensured India posted a competitive total.

In the context of the match, the knock was significant. India were under pressure not just because of the scoreboard, but because dew later in the evening could have made chasing easier. The difference between a below-par total and a defendable one rested almost entirely on Suryakumar’s innings.

He ended with 84 not out from 49 deliveries. During his stay, the rest of the batting unit contributed minimally, underlining the weight of his effort.

On paper, it may appear as a strong innings against lower-ranked opposition. In reality, it was a rescue act on one of the trickier surfaces seen in a T20 at the venue — and a reminder of Suryakumar’s value in pressure situations.