India’s middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav showed his playful side during the press conference after the Super 8 match against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. Suryakumar Yadav’s humorous response to being addressed as Mohammed Siraj has become viral on social media platforms.
The Rohit Sharma-led team entered the Super Eight stage with an impeccable record. The Men in Blue won three matches in the group stage, and a match against Canada was canceled because the outfield was wet. Afghanistan, on the other hand, suffered a tough 104-run defeat against the West Indies in their final group match.
The Indian cricket team continued to dominate the Super Eight stage. Rohit Sharma’s team recorded a comfortable 47-run victory at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, June 20. Suryakumar Yadav was awarded ‘Man of the Match’ for his impressive batting performance in the Indian team’s victory.
Siraj Bhai is eating – Suryakumar Yadav
During the post-match press conference, a journalist mistakenly called Suryakumar Yadav ‘Siraj’. Suryakumar gave a witty reply: “Siraj is not here, friend. Siraj is eating,” which made the entire conference room laugh.
“Siraj to nahi hai yaar. Siraj bhai khana kha rahe hai (laughs) (Siraj is not here, friend. Siraj is eating),” SKY replied to the journalist.
Suryakumar Yadav equaled Virat Kohli’s record of winning 15 Man of the Match awards in T20Is. The batsman, known as India’s most versatile batsman in T20 cricket, achieved this feat in just 64 matches. SKY has scored 2253 with an impressive strike rate of 168.51 in the shortest format of international cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah takes three wickets for seven runs in four overs
Earlier, India experienced a shaky start after winning the toss. Captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed early, while Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli exited after making modest contributions. Suryakumar Yadav came into bat at 54/2 after seven overs and counter-attacked the Afghanistan bowlers despite the pressure.
The 33-year-old scored his second consecutive half-century in the tournament. The right-handed batsman scored 53 runs off 28 balls with three sixes and five fours. Yadav added a crucial 60-run partnership with Hardik Pandya for the fifth wicket. The Men in Blue reached a competitive total of 181/8 in 20 overs.
Ace India pacer Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets for seven runs in his four overs, including a maiden. Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first match in the T20 World Cup 2024, made an impact by taking two wickets. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was expensive in the powerplay but he dismantled the lower order.
The Men in Blue will face Bangladesh in their next Super 8 match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday 22 June. Notably, the Najmul Hossain Shanto-led team suffered a 28-run defeat to Australia through the DLS method in their first Super 8 match on Friday, June 21 (Indian time).
Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav is on the same pedestal as Virat Kohli even after playing only half the matches.