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Despite Mohammed Siraj having an over remaining and Shivam Dube—part of India‘s T20 World Cup-winning squad—yet to bowl, captain Suryakumar Yadav made a surprising choice for the 19th over against Sri Lanka in 3rd T20I. Following Khaleel Ahmed‘s 12-ball over, during which the left-arm pacer had conceded 12 runs and left Islanders needing just nine runs to win the game of the series in Pallekele, Surya handed the ball to Rinku Singh. Rinku, who had not yet bowled in international cricket, was entrusted with this crucial over.
Suryakumar Yadav’s risky move to seal the T20I series against Sri Lanka
Even though India had already secured the series with wins in the first two games last week, Surya and head coach Gautam Gambhir took a significant risk on Tuesday. Despite this Singh, the off-spinner, delivered an exceptional performance, taking two wickets for just three runs and reducing Sri Lanka to six down in their chase. Later, Surya took the ball and claimed two more wickets on consecutive deliveries in the final, successfully defending six runs and ultimately leading India to victory in the Super Over.
Following the win, Surya revealed the reason behind deciding to bowl Rinku in the penultimate over. Speaking to Sony Sports, he reckoned that Rinku was better suited for the conditions with his right-arm off-spin variety, especially after ensuring that he bowled enough in the practice sessions throughout the series.
“The decision for the 20th over was easy; the difficult part was for the 19th. Siraj and a few others had their overs left. But Rinku was better suited for that wicket because I saw him bowling, which made him practice a lot at the nets. I felt it was right, and that is why I took that call,” said Surya.
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Surya’s decision on opting for last over rather than 19th over
When former India cricketer Ashish Nehra inquired about why Surya did not bowl the 19th over himself, the captain explained that match-ups were a key factor in his decision. He also acknowledged that moving forward in T20I cricket, he now has an additional reliable bowler to count on.
“I knew the 19th over has always been difficult for Indian cricket (laughs). That is why I gave the responsibility to Rinku. For a right-hander bowling to a left-hander, it is always difficult for the batter. It was great that he made the best use of his skill and made my work easy because now I have one more bowling option going forward,” Surya added.
