Suryakumar Yadav took one of the most iconic catches in Indian cricket history, which helped the Men in Blue to clinch their second T20 World Cup title in Barbados last Saturday (June 29).
In the title clash, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was tasked to defend 16 runs in the final over against South Africa.
Hardik’s first delivery was a low full toss, and David Miller lofted it straight down the ground to give mini-heartbreak to the Indian fans. However, Suryakumar held his nerves and grabbed an incredible catch inches away from the boundary rope at long-off.
Just when the momentum was taking him beyond the ropes, Surya showed remarkable presence of mind as he released the ball before coming back to complete the catch.
After the watching the catch from a couple of angles, the third umpire had declared Miller out. However, there are some who continue to question the dismissal.
Claims have been made that the boundary rope was pushed by feet before Surya pulled off the screamer, especially as the white marking line was visible ahead of the skirting.
Reacting to such claims, former India cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has asked the doubters to 'push their brains a little’.
"People said the original white line was visible and it means the skirting would have been pushed behind with the feet. Then I say, nothing was pushed, push your brain a little. Open your mind a little and understand the rules," Chopra said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
"It's absolutely correct that the line is considered the boundary but do you know why the line was ahead of the skirting? It's because there are many pitches on the ground. So when the match shifts from one pitch to another, the boundary ropes are adjusted, and this was not the first match to be played in Barbados," he added.
"So the markings were done for the original pitch, and then you changed them because the ground dimensions are going to change. The moment they change, those lines are left behind, and that's about it, there is nothing more to it," he continued.
Some fans have also alleged that Suryakumar intentionally pushed the skirting back using his feet, but Aakash Chopra rubbished those claims, saying that there were enough camera in the group to spot such an act.
"Suryakumar Yadav took the catch, he was inside, he threw the ball up when he was going outside, and then he caught the ball after coming back. Everything was absolutely clear. There was no angle which didn't show it with clarity," he remarked.
"There were enough cameras. It's the truth with every international game. In fact, we had 26 cameras in the Bengal Pro T20 league, and this was the ICC World Cup. There are 30-40 cameras, nothing is hidden from them," Chopra concluded.
