Catches Win Captaincy, Too, For Suryakumar Yadav

 
There is a time-honoured adage in cricket that says, “Catches win matches.” In Suryakumar Yadav’s case, the golden rule of the game can be modified to read, “Catches win captaincy,” too! No one, least of all the national selection committee, can erase from their memory the stunt-show-like catch that Yadav converted to bring to nought the big straight blow of South African left-hander David Miller in the tense moments of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final at Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29. Less than a month after he demonstrated his athleticism, commitment and situational awareness to win the title for India’s men in blue, the decision-makers of Indian cricket have awarded him with the national team’s Twenty20 captaincy; it was not just the game-changing catch that impressed the selectors. Whoever brainstormed with them – his ability to maintain equanimity and not leave his foot on the pedal as captain of the Indian team on seven previous occasions must have also weighed in. As captain, he has made 300 runs off 182 balls with a century (an exact 100 off 56 balls with 7 x 4s and 8 x 6s) against South Africa at the Wanderers in December 2023. He has played in 68 Twenty20 internationals, scored 2340 runs, and featured in 51 wins, five as captain. In over three years, Yadav’s unique style of eruptive batting has made him India’s top-notch Twenty20 brand, even amid stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. He has taken 45 catches, fourth behind Sharma, Kohli, and Hardik Pandya. The soon-to-be 34-year-old Yadav has not made the ODI team cut, though. It’s unlikely he will get the nod for Test cricket. Yadav has the top job ahead of Pandya, and his tenure will now be in his hands.