The Indian national cricket team led by Suryakumar Yadav went head to head with the Sri Lanka national cricket team led by Charith Asalanka in the third and final T20I of India’s tour of Sri Lanka 2024 on Tuesday, July 30 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The Men In Blue came into the clash with little at stake as they had already sealed the series after winning the first two matches. In the first T20I, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side sealed a 43-run win after scoring 213/7 on the board.

The visitors put in a spectacular display, batting exceptionally well and captain Suryakumar Yadav leading the way. With the ball, they were also great as the bowlers dug in after a poor start and restricted the opposition to 170.

The story of the second T20I was quite similar as the Indian bowling unit initially struggled to get wickets but once they got going, they restricted the hosts to 161/9. Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya picked up two wickets each while Ravi Bishnoi got three wickets.

The match was interrupted by rain in the second innings, and India were given a revised target of 78, which they chased down with 9 balls remaining and 7 wickets in hand.

I don’t want to be the captain, I want to be the leader – Suryakumar Yadav

Talking about the third T20I, India was invited to bat first and after a poor batting display, they managed to score a total of 137 runs. Defending the total, it looked like India would lose the match but the last two overs from Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav ensured that the match was drawn and it went into the Super Over contest. In the Super Over contest, India managed to get a target of just 3 runs, which they chased down on the first ball.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, Suryakumar Yadav, who won the Player of the Series award, denied taking any credit for the win and said that more than their final over, the performance of the Indian batsmen contributed to the victory. Suryakumar Yadav said:

“More than in the last over, I felt that when we were 30/4, the boys showed character, 140 was a par score on that track. I said if we put our heart and soul into it, we could do it.

Suryakumar Yadav praised his players and said that they are confident and play with positivity. He concluded by saying that he does not want to be a captain but a leader. Suryakumar Yadav explained:

“The amount of skill they have, the self-confidence, it makes my job easier. The positivity, the care they have for each other is unbelievable. After the last game, I told a few guys that they would rest and they were ready to sit back. They have made my job easier. I have little pressure when I bat. As I said before the series, I don’t want to be the captain, I want to be the leader.”

The action now shifts to the three-match ODI series when India and Sri Lanka will lock horns on August 2, 4 and 7 in Colombo.