Following India’s triumph over the United States in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, former right-arm seamer Aaron lauded right-hand batter Suryakumar Yadav for his stellar batting performance at the Nassau International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Suryakumar delivered an unbeaten innings of 50 runs from 49 balls, embellished with two fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of 102.04 against the hosts.
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Aaron praised Suryakumar Yadav’s performance in the match against the US, highlighting his understanding of the pitch’s pace and his ability to back himself for shots towards the end of his innings.
“A guy like Surya cannot lose his wicket early. He has to give himself that time and finish the innings. And that’s what he did today. It was not easy at all,” Aaron remarked.
The fast bowler emphasized the importance of appreciating Suryakumar’s innings, particularly considering the challenging conditions and the pressure of the match situation.
“Dubey was struggling. If there was a new batter who came in after Surya was 20 of 28 balls, the new batsman would have come in on a wicket which he just did not have any time on. That would have been really bad news for India,” Aaron added.
Reflecting on the match, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma elected to bowl first after winning the toss. The USA managed to post a competitive total of 110/8 in their 20 overs, with notable contributions from Nitish Kumar and Steven Taylor.
India faced early setbacks in their run-chase, losing skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant cheaply. However, a resilient partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube turned the tide in India’s favor, guiding them to a seven-wicket victory.
Arshdeep’s stellar bowling performance earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ award as India secured their spot in the Super Eights stage of the tournament with a flawless record of three wins in three matches.