I knew definitely someday it was going to come – Suryakumar Yadav on his fighting 84

Suryakumar Yadav played an excellent innings as he spearheaded the Indian charge with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 84 from just 49 balls against USA in the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener.

He walked out to bat on the heels of Ishan Kishan departing. However, that was just the beginning of a nightmare that no one predicted.

India lost Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube in short succession, tottering at 46/4. With a dire exigency in the center, Suryakumar Yadav emerged as the messiah for Team India, steering them through the treacherous cross-currents before unleashing a firestorm to propel India to a warring total on the board. He bagged the Player of the Match award for his scintillating performance.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav opened up on returning to form and how he always believed that it was just a matter of moments before he could find his momentum. He also highlighted the mindset that he nurtured to remain in the center irrespective of the challenges that were stacked up against him.

Shedding light on the knock, SKY said, “See, I knew definitely someday it was going to come. Last whole year, I was trying to bat in such a way, hold the innings for the team, but it wasn't happening. But then I left it alone after I played the last series of last year against South Africa. Packed my kit bag, spent a lot of time with family for two weeks. Then started in the new year and when we went to Nagpur, it was a different feeling altogether.”

Highlighting the equation from where India were reduced to 77/6, Surya added, “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. But then Gauti bhai told me the same thing during the break after the 14 overs. He told me, just try and bat till the end, you can cover it any time.”

Explaining how his connection with the Mumbai surfaces helped him to adapt, the Indian captain added, “And also, most important thing, I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay, this wicket and also maidans of Mumbai cricket. So I know how to bat on similar kind of wickets.”

He concluded by talking about his adaptation to the surface, stating, “Absolutely. I mean, 77 for 6 and then from there, batting till the end. You had to understand that one batter had to bat till the end. I just kept counting who was about to bowl at that time and checked on how many balls were left and I was just trying to play good shots and my shots.”