India secured a tense victory against USA in the T20 World Cup, booking their place in the Super Eight stage. Captain Rohit Sharma lauded his team’s fighting spirit and praised a surprising hero: Suryakumar Yadav.
Suryakumar Yadav steps up
While Suryakumar Yadav is known for his aggressive 360-degree batting, he displayed a different side against USA. “He showed he’s got a different game as well,” said Sharma, impressed by Yadav’s unbeaten 49-ball 50.
This mature knock, alongside a crucial 67-run partnership with Shivam Dube, steered India home on a challenging pitch.
Shivam Dube provides grit
Shivam Dube‘s knock of 31 runs off 35 balls offered valuable support, especially when he broke the shackles with a six against Corey Anderson. While his strike rate was slow early on, his ability to handle spin bowling adds another dimension to the Indian middle order.
Rohit Sharma highlighted Dube’s potential as an all-rounder, stating, “We want options with us… Today, the pitch had something in it, and I thought we could use him.” Although Dube’s solitary bowling over conceded 11 runs, his capabilities offer the captain strategic flexibility.
Bowlers set stage for win
Despite the low-scoring match (221 runs in total), Rohit credited his bowlers for taking the initiative. Youngster Arshdeep Singh shone with career-best figures of 4 for 9, while Hardik Pandya’s short deliveries accounted for two key wickets.
“We knew bowlers had to take the lead,” said Rohit Sharma, acknowledging the difficult batting conditions. He commended his team’s ability to fight in all three group matches and emerge victorious.
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Touch of Class by Rohit Sharma
The match also presented a heartwarming moment for Rohit Sharma, who acknowledged USA’s bowlers Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh. Netravalkar, a former teammate from the Mumbai circuit, and Singh, who attended the same school as Sharma, impressed the Indian captain.
“We’ve played cricket together,” Rohit said, expressing his delight at their progress. He wished them the very best for their future cricketing endeavors.
Team India will now carry the momentum from this hard-fought win into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup.
