As India Crush Lanka in T20 Series, New Skipper Surya Shines Brilliantly!

“Don’t wait for time to change, but rather change the time yourself.” This old and profound saying aptly reflects the remarkable turnaround in Suryakumar Yadav’s cricketing career in recent times. From toiling hard in the domestic Ranji Trophy to consistently piling runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Suryakumar, affectionately called Surya by most fans, has risen to become the T20 skipper of Team India. His journey acquired a new dimension a few days ago, as his inspired leadership took Team India to a 3-0 series whitewash against the Lankan Lions where he led by example and clinched the Player of the Series award.

Surya’s amazing story is a testament to resilience, skill, and patient perseverance. He hit global limelight for all the right reasons after he took an exceptional catch to dismiss David Miller in the final over of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados. Surya’s catch and his acrobatic effort not only played a crucial role in ensuring an Indian triumph but also made him the toast of the cricketing world and turned him overnight into a hero for the entire nation. This was a moment of redemption after his lacklustre show in the ODI World Cup Final 2023 where India lost to Australia.

Ranked as the World’s Number 1 T20 batsman for a long time, Surya’s rise to the top has been a journey marked by consistent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL. Known as the 360-degree batter, Suryakumar has all the shots in the book, and a few that aren’t, and is in the league of the likes of AB de Villiers for his breathtaking strokeplay. He has made batting look easy during his time with Mumbai Indians starting in 2018, a period during which they won the IPL title twice, largely thanks to his 1700-plus runs at a strike rate of around 140.

It wasn’t always smooth as his IPL journey had begun with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, but it was with Mumbai Indians that he truly shone. His selection call for the national team came in 2021, where he announced his arrival by hooking the first ball he faced from England pacer Jofra Archer for a huge six. Since then, Surya has never looked back.

During the absence of senior players and injury to Hardik Pandya, who was the T20 captain till then, Surya was first appointed the skipper of the Indian T20I side after the 2023 ODI World Cup. Indian won that series under his captaincy with a 4-1 margin. His captaincy was further tested against South Africa and the series ended in a 1-1 draw. In the recent series against Sri Lanka, Surya was easily the standout performer, earning the Player of the Series accolade with 92 runs and two crucial wickets as he even donned the role of a bowler in a critical moment. His 58 off 26 balls in the first game set the tone for India’s aggressive approach, a strategy that the other batsmen followed.

While the Indian women’s team lost the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka, the men’s team triumphed in their T20 series with a 3-0 victory. Although the first two games were much closer than the scoreline suggested, the final game showcased the true level of competition. Surya’s inspired leadership, as corroborated by Washington Sundar, helped India gain the upper hand and secure a thrilling victory in the super over. Surya’s performances were outstanding, and his two wickets with off-breaks added a perfect finishing touch.

Not just that, his players seem to like his captaincy style and calm demeanour as well. Axar Patel talked about Surya’s leadership style, describing him as a bowlers’ captain who allows them the freedom to execute their plans. This approach was evident in India’s dominant show in the series opener in Pallekele, where they thrashed Sri Lanka by a massive 43 runs.

His journey as India skipper has just begun, but Surya takes pride in seeing his teammates support each other, aspiring to be a leader of men rather than just a team captain. Surya remains humble and focused on the broader vision. “As I said before the series, I don’t want to be the captain; I want to be the leader,” he asserted at the postmatch ceremony. His vision aligns with India’s aspirations to continue the path set by former leaders like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and aims at India’s dominance in cricket’s shortest format.

Surya’s story is an inspiring narrative of transforming time through determination and skill. From domestic circuits to international contests, he has proved his batting mettle and leadership calibre. As he steers Indian cricket forward, the nation looks to Surya to continue India’s dominance in T20 cricket for years to come.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Siddhaarth Mahan The writer is a specialist on Sports and Cinema who works as an actor in the Hindi film industry