Bravery comes in so many different packages in cricket, we don’t recognise it when we see it. When Anil Kumble came out to bowl with a fractured jaw, we felt that sense of duty in our bones. When Raul Dravid wore blow after blow on the body but refused to yield, we were lifted by that sense of commitment.
When players put their bodies on the line, team and country before all else, we are inspired almost effortlessly. From the pages of history to more recent escapades, players at the highest level have pushed themselves to the limit.
But when someone is courageous enough to quieten the doubting voices in his head, someone has such a firm conviction in the team’s method and his own that he sticks to it when the heat is on, and he does so with a smile and a jaunty gait, we don’t recognise it for what it is.
Suryakumar Yadav, on India’s opening night of the 2026 Twenty20 World Cup, walked the talk in much the same manner as Rohit Sharma, his predecessor in the white-ball game.
Rohit needed his team to approach batting differently, and he set the tone at the top of the order, sacrificing the big scores for momentum.
Similarly, Surya has asked his team to bat in a certain manner, squeezing the most of their resources, being fearless and embracing the true spirit of T20 cricket. And, with the top order in tatters at 46 for 4, Surya was given a serious reality check. Would he now stick to his guns, or would he slip back into old habits that the team has worked so hard to shake off?
Surya stayed true to the plan without losing his head. Seeing that the ball was stopping and coming at times, and gripping appreciably for the slower bowlers, Surya adjusted his game. Committing to a stroke early was fraught with risk, as many of the batsmen who came before him demonstrated holing out to what looked like set pieces.
Surya still looked to attack, but he picked his spots, lined up the bowlers he would target and did not over-extend himself. The one blemish in Surya’s innings came with him on only 17 from 15 balls, when he was dropped. But he did not just make the most of this; he finished with a flourish, taking 48 off the last 18 balls he faced and 21 off the final over. Surya’s unbeaten 84 from 49 balls lifted India to 161 for 9. Having begun the day with talk of 300 being under threat, a chastened Indian team was happy to have that much on the board.
“I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay (Mumbai), on this wicket, and also on the maidans of the city. So, I know how to bat on similar kinds of wickets,” Suryakumar said at the end of the game. “I have played a lot of cricket here at Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan. So I knew that if I bat till the end, I can make a difference.”
Surya made a difference, but he is making light of how well he batted. India have several players who came up the Surya route in Mumbai’s domestic circuit, many who have been with the Mumbai Indians and others who have international experience playing at Wankhede. On the day, even the opposition has players who grew up on these pitches. But none of them read it quickly enough and then had the presence of mind and the skill to adapt, tweaking their approach just enough to give themselves a better chance of succeeding. The conditions demanded this, and Surya respected them. “I always felt that there was a need for a batter to bat till the end. I never felt that it was a 180-190 wicket. I felt it was a 140 wicket. Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) told me the same thing during the break after 14 overs. He told me, ‘Just try and bat till the end; you can cover it any time’.”
Surya provided cover for the entire batting line-up on the day. And you cannot criticise the team too much for the flurry of wickets because that is bound to happen from time to time when you play a fully attacking, freestroking T20 style. On another day, against a stronger opposition, it may have been harder for the team to come back from such a serious wobble up front.
But, at least they now have experience of it early in the tournament, and it did not cost them two points. They can thank Surya for that.
When players put their bodies on the line, team and country before all else, we are inspired almost effortlessly. From the pages of history to more recent escapades, players at the highest level have pushed themselves to the limit.
But when someone is courageous enough to quieten the doubting voices in his head, someone has such a firm conviction in the team’s method and his own that he sticks to it when the heat is on, and he does so with a smile and a jaunty gait, we don’t recognise it for what it is.
Suryakumar Yadav, on India’s opening night of the 2026 Twenty20 World Cup, walked the talk in much the same manner as Rohit Sharma, his predecessor in the white-ball game.
Rohit needed his team to approach batting differently, and he set the tone at the top of the order, sacrificing the big scores for momentum.
Similarly, Surya has asked his team to bat in a certain manner, squeezing the most of their resources, being fearless and embracing the true spirit of T20 cricket. And, with the top order in tatters at 46 for 4, Surya was given a serious reality check. Would he now stick to his guns, or would he slip back into old habits that the team has worked so hard to shake off?
Surya stayed true to the plan without losing his head. Seeing that the ball was stopping and coming at times, and gripping appreciably for the slower bowlers, Surya adjusted his game. Committing to a stroke early was fraught with risk, as many of the batsmen who came before him demonstrated holing out to what looked like set pieces.
Surya still looked to attack, but he picked his spots, lined up the bowlers he would target and did not over-extend himself. The one blemish in Surya’s innings came with him on only 17 from 15 balls, when he was dropped. But he did not just make the most of this; he finished with a flourish, taking 48 off the last 18 balls he faced and 21 off the final over. Surya’s unbeaten 84 from 49 balls lifted India to 161 for 9. Having begun the day with talk of 300 being under threat, a chastened Indian team was happy to have that much on the board.
“I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay (Mumbai), on this wicket, and also on the maidans of the city. So, I know how to bat on similar kinds of wickets,” Suryakumar said at the end of the game. “I have played a lot of cricket here at Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan. So I knew that if I bat till the end, I can make a difference.”
Surya made a difference, but he is making light of how well he batted. India have several players who came up the Surya route in Mumbai’s domestic circuit, many who have been with the Mumbai Indians and others who have international experience playing at Wankhede. On the day, even the opposition has players who grew up on these pitches. But none of them read it quickly enough and then had the presence of mind and the skill to adapt, tweaking their approach just enough to give themselves a better chance of succeeding. The conditions demanded this, and Surya respected them. “I always felt that there was a need for a batter to bat till the end. I never felt that it was a 180-190 wicket. I felt it was a 140 wicket. Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) told me the same thing during the break after 14 overs. He told me, ‘Just try and bat till the end; you can cover it any time’.”
Surya provided cover for the entire batting line-up on the day. And you cannot criticise the team too much for the flurry of wickets because that is bound to happen from time to time when you play a fully attacking, freestroking T20 style. On another day, against a stronger opposition, it may have been harder for the team to come back from such a serious wobble up front.
But, at least they now have experience of it early in the tournament, and it did not cost them two points. They can thank Surya for that.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)