I know what is expected of me
It is easier to get boundaries in the PowerPlay with good shots but in overs seven to 15, you need to really think about where to get boundaries; I’ve done a lot of match simulations keeping this in mind; if it works in a real contest, I’m happy and if it
Suryakumar Yadav was forced to curb his natural attacking instincts in India’s Group ‘A’ match against USA at the Nassau County Stadium. The pitch was not conducive to shot making, which led Suryakumar to work his way to a responsible unbeaten 49-ball 50.
It is this adaptability that makes Suryakumar the world’s top-ranked T20I batter.
Expectations are high, but Suryakumar is up for the challenge. “I’ve been the world number one T20I batter for two years, so we have to bat dierently according to the conditions. You have to change your game based on what the team needs. You have to display good batsmanship, especially if the pitch is dicult,” Suryakumar said.
The Mumbai Indians batter elded questions ahead of India’s Super 8 campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World
Cup. Excerpts:
Your full range of shots were not possible in the USA. Are you happy to come here to the West Indies, where batting should be easier?
I was happy playing in the USA as well (laughs). It is not that we were unhappy playing there. But that was the rst we played at New York, so the conditions were dierent and challenging. We have played here in West Indies, so we know how it will be. We’re very happy to be here. The pitch here was covered when I went to the eld as it was raining, but it looks better.
When the ball is not coming on to the bat as easily as you would like, how do you manufacture power?
Just hit the gap and run hard (laughs). It is dicult to generate force when there is no pace on the wicket. When someone has read your game well, it gets even more dicult. So you have to be very smart; you cannot bat the way you have for the last one or two years. You have to change according to what the team needs.
You must talk to your batting partner, and take the innings deep.
You hit a 49-ball 50 in New York, which was unlike you. How did you manage having to to limit your stroke-play?
I knew that it would be tough to get boundaries after the PowerPlay. The outeld was slow. The plan was to hit the gaps and run hard. It was a dicult pitch, but the match situation was dierent too. We had to bat till the end and keep wickets in hand.
I spoke to Shivam (Dube) about the same thing when we were batting together. It was just a matter of getting one or two big hits, which eventually came.
Spinners are expected to come into play in the Super 8 stage. You may have to play more sweeps and reverse sweeps...
That has always been my strength. If the wicket is slow and the spinners come on, I play the same way I do in the practice sessions. Everyone has a game plan and mindset to take on spinners, but we come together as a unit with our skill-set.
If the openers, Rohit (Sharma) or Virat Kohli, get out early, does your game plan change?
Not really. We have a format on how to bat, and we try to stick to it. Even if we lose three quick wickets up top, you still have to put runs on the board as a team. We try to bat with the same intent.
It is better to keep a positive approach, rather than hesitate. The management leaves all decisions to the two batters in the middle. They know what is best for the team.
Your slip elding has been good. The catch you took to dismiss Babar Azam in the Pakistan match seemed to thrill you as much as scoring a fty…
Fielding is a non-negotiable aspect of cricket. Everyone in the team has put a lot of eort into our elding, and it shows on the ground. In tight games, you have to take your half-chances. That makes all the dierent to the outcome of the game. We spend a lot of time with the elding coach (T. Dilip). If you stop runs in the eld, or take a good catch, the positivity spreads through the entire unit.
Tell us about the transition from the time you entered the Indian team to the senior player you have become now…
Well, I did not enter the team as a youngster (laughs). I had played a lot of domestic cricket and IPL seasons, so I knew what was expected of me in the Indian team. I knew why I was picked for the team. I was very clear on how to bat in my role. The most dicult phase in T20 cricket is overs seven to fteen. This is where teams try to control the game. I have analysed this a lot even before I entered the Indian team. I knew that if I could keep a good strike rate in these overs, I can become a game-changer. And when I kept doing this repeatedly, I realised that this should be my game plan going forward.
It is easier to get boundaries in the PowerPlay with good shots. But in overs seven to fteen, you need to really think about where to get boundaries. I’ve done a lot of match simulations keeping this is mind. If it works in the match, then I’m happy. If it does not, there is always a next time.