We wanted to leave everything behind – Suryakumar Yadav on India’s dominant win against Zimbabwe

Team India returned to winning ways after a brief hiccup against South Africa, humbling Zimbabwe in a must-win Super Eights encounter. The entire batting unit came together, posting a solid 256. The Indian captain, Suryakumar Yadav scored a feisty 33 off just 13 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes while scoring at a staggering rate of 253.85.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav opened up on India’s headspace ahead of the game. He highlighted how the analysts prepared a crucial chart for the Indian team to use. He also spoke at length about how clarity played a crucial role in shaping India’s dominant win against Zimbabwe.

Shedding light on India’s mindset, SKY said, “I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn’t think too much about what we did in the league stage or in the last game in Ahmedabad. Our video analyst had prepared a slide for all the batters and bowlers, highlighting what we’ve done well over the past year. We looked at that, took a lot of positivity from it, and came here with clarity.”

He further added, “With contributions from the top order right down to number seven, I think there was hardly anything missing in our performance. To be very honest, we could have been a little more clinical with the ball. But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and we’ll take it as we move forward.”

He also expressed mutual admiration for Zimbabwe’s heroic efforts, stating, “We’ll definitely tighten a few screws when we go and play the West Indies cricket team. I don’t want to take any credit away from the Zimbabwean batters. I think they batted beautifully. Yes, the wicket was good, but the way they approached the innings - taking their time in the powerplay and then accelerating smartly - was impressive. Credit goes to them as well.”

Surya concluded by stating, “From a bowling point of view, though, we could have been a little smarter with certain options at key moments. In situations like this, we need to be courageous with our decisions. There’s no option other than taking the positive route. Once we reach Kolkata, we’ll sit down and plan properly for that game. For now, it’s about taking a day off, travelling, and relaxing.”