When Suryakumar Yadav noticed that Rohit Sharma was farther away from the ball at long-on than he was at long-off, he realised he “hadn’t touched the rope” and decided to go all out for the catch.
The catch he made to remove David Miller in the last over, which ultimately tipped the T20 World Cup final in India’s favour, was the topic of conversation.
According to Suryakumar Yadav, “Rohit bhai usually never stands at long-on but at that moment he was there,” as reported by the Indian Express. “I glanced at him as the ball approached, and he glanced back at me for a brief moment.” I ran with the intention of catching the ball. If Rohit had been nearer, I would have tossed the ball in his direction. But he was a long way off. Whatever occurred in those four to five seconds is beyond me to understand.”
“When I pushed the ball [up and inside the playing area] and took the catch, I knew I hadn’t touched the rope,” he stated. “My sole concern was making sure my feet didn’t come into contact with the rope when I pushed the ball back inside. It was a decent catch, I knew. Looking back, a lot could have gone wrong. Five balls, ten runs would have been the equation if the ball had gone for six. Although the margin would have been less, we might still have prevailed.”
In addition to revealing the strategy for making such catches, Suryakumar Yadav gave appreciation to fielding coach T Dilip for inspiring the team as a whole by instituting the fielding medal after each game, which has made sure that “everyone wants to do something extra on the ground”.
“The catch I took, I have practised it at different grounds, depending on the wind,” he stated. “David Miller struck a straight ball, and I was standing a little wide because Hardik [Pandya] and Rohit bhai had set up a field for the wide yorker. I was fully aware that I had to capture it no matter what.
“We have an excellent fielding session the day before the game. We play 10 to 12 minutes of direct hits, high catches, flat catches, and slide catching. It’s not a one-day workout; I practise these kinds of catches during bilateral series and the Indian Premier League. The catch from yesterday was the fruit of years of arduous labour.”
According to Suryakumar Yadav, he couldn’t have maintained his balance and agility without improving his physical condition. From November 2023 to March 2024, he was sidelined for four months as he healed from an ankle injury and sports hernia. He worked with a dietitian as part of his workout regimen at this time, and he also worked on slimming down.
“I remember last August, I was at around 93kg, maybe because I was having too much local food,” he stated. “I had a hernia procedure after getting hurt. I attended the National Cricket Academy (NCA) run by the BCCI from January 1 to April 1 of this year. I used to refuse to go home, even on my days off, because I knew that Monday morning would be my session. I had no time to waste.
“My chef prepared delicious stuff for me to eat. I used to go to bed promptly at 10 o’clock at night and wake up early. With the assistance of the chef and nutritionist, I have already chosen my meals for the upcoming week. They also determine how much water and protein I should drink with each meal. My wife is in the group that we have for it. I just go along with what they decide. Here, it was helpful to me.”
Also Read: Taskin Ahmed apologises for missing the squad bus at the T20 World Cup 2024 after staying up late to watch the India match.
How has he savoured the thrill of becoming a world champion combined with that particular moment?
“In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can’t explain,” he stated. “I’ve received a lot of feedback on that; people have been messaging and calling, and my phone has over a thousand unread WhatsApp messages.” The scoop is widely shared on social media. I’m happy that I witnessed those five playable seconds.”
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