Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were the toast of India’s win in the third match of the ongoing T20I series against West Indies, which was played in Guyana on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. With this 7-wicket win, the Men in Blue have managed to stay alive in the series.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, West Indies had put up 159/5 in 20 overs with Rovman Powell (40*) and Brandon King (42) being the top run-getters. For India, Kuldeep Yadav picked 3/28.
In reply, Suryakumar Yadav led the way with 83 runs and he added 87 runs for the third wicket with Tilak Varma, who remained 49* in 37 balls. Hardik Pandya made 20*, as India won the match by 7 wickets to open their account in the five-match series.
India had a shaky start as debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal got out for one run and Shubman Gill’s poor form in T20Is continued as he perished for another single-digit score. Then Suryakumar Yadav unleashed his full fury on Windies bowlers as he hammered 10 fours and 4 sixes, as Tilak Varma played second fiddle to him.
Following the victory, Suryakumar and Tilak gathered for a light-hearted chat and the video of the same was posted by BCCI on their social media accounts.
Suryakumar asked the youngster about his batting approach – which reflected composure and calm – and insisted that Tilak handled the situation maturely.
“Wicket was pretty slow today, so I considered taking calculated risks. I received some loose balls and just waited for the ball to come,” Tilak said about his batting.
Indian youngster also revealed that Suryakumar Yadav wore a wristband as he walked out to bat, with a message written on it; “Powerplay me thoda time lekar khelna hai (Give yourself time during the Powerplay).”
Reacting to the comment, Suryakumar chuckled and said “Sometimes, you have to play bluff with yourself. Aaj maine khud ko ullu bana diya (I tricked myself today)! I thought I would take time and peak slowly. But then I realised I would play to the team's requirement, and not do anything different. I did the same team, I enjoyed myself, and loved batting with the star (Tilak Varma).”
Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma also did the youngster’s victory celebration which he had revealed for Rohit Sharma's daughter after scoring his maiden T20I fifty in the second match.
Both teams will now travel to Florida for the last two T20Is played on August 12 and 13.
