‘I started chewing my gum even harder when Kohli…’: Suryakumar Yadav after India vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup game

In a crucial T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan, Rohit Sharma commended Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya for their ‘critical’ partnership that steered India through a tough situation. The duo added 60 runs off 37 balls after Shivam Dube's dismissal left India struggling at 90 for 4 in the 11th over. The partnership proved instrumental in India's 47-run victory to kickstart their Super Eight campaign at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

Reflecting on the tense moments when Virat Kohli departed, Suryakumar Yadav admitted feeling nervous but drew confidence from past experiences.

“I started chewing my gum even harder when he [Kohli] got out. But I knew I'd played this phase before, and it became a little easier with the left-handers coming in. But I just backed my game, my instincts, and most importantly, my intent [which] should have been good at that time,” Suryakumar Yadav told ESPN Cricinfo.

Suryakumar and Hardik Pandya added 60 runs off 37 balls for the fourth wicket once they came together after Shivam Dube's dismissal. Dube's loss left India 90 for 4 in the 11th over. 

Suryakumar Yadav made a fine half-century before the Indian bowlers' power play in the match to break Afghanistan's flamboyant shot-makers to romp to a 47-run win in the T20 World Cup on Thursday. Suryakumar's half-century was his nineteenth fifty, and the format helped India to pose a tough score for opponent Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, who won their opening three games in the group stage, have now lost back-to-back matches. In their last first-round fixture, they suffered a humbling 104-run loss to the West Indies at St Lucia. India and Afghanistan will face Australia and Bangladesh in their remaining Group 1 fixtures, with the top two teams making the semi-finals.