Team India recorded their fourth win of the 2024 T20 World Cup with a convincing 47-run victory against Afghanistan on Thursday. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya starred with the bat for India, while Jasprit Bumrah once again showed his class with the ball.
Aside from the outcome of the match, another incident that has attracted a lot of attention is the playful exchange between Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan and Surya Kumar Yadav. Rashid, in particular, had caused the Indian batsmen considerable problems, taking the crucial wickets of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant and restricting the flow of runs.
But when SKY, as he is fondly called by his fans, brought in the sweep shot, it was to counter the threat posed by Rashid. In fact, Surya's sweeps seemed to rattle Rashid so much that he had a chat with the Indian batsman.
In a video posted on the official ICC handle, Surya can be seen sweeping a couple of deliveries from Rashid for boundaries and sixes. And when the video cuts to the discussion between Rashid and Surya, the Afghan spinner can be seen with a smile on his face as SKY seems to be trying to explain something. At the end, Rashid playfully touches SKY's helmet before walking away from the discussion.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who was in the commentator's box also made his best guess on what Rashid and SKY may be talking about.
With the camera facing Rashid, Shastri stated Afghanistan skipper told SKY “Stop sweeping me”. Shastri then commenting on Surya's reponse to that discussion stated, “It's not my fault!”
While the duo may have engaged in a bit of playful banter on-ground, the mutual respect between them still seems to be intact. In fact, speaking after the match, Surya proclaimed Rashid Khan was the best bowler in the world. He said, "When he [Rashid] bowls, it's very difficult to pick him. I know what shots to play when I am inside. He's the best bowler in the world, you can't let him dominate. You have to be a step ahead."
