'That Was A Game-Changer': Ravi Shastri on Suryakumar Yadav's Catch in T20 World Cup Final

Suryakumar Yadav is certainly enjoying a fruitful time in international cricket. Leading India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Surya earned a convincing 3-0 win for his side at Pallekele. In the final T20I against Sri Lanka yesterday, he came up with a splendid bowling in the final over of the contest to force the fixture into Super Over. India, eventually, prevailed over the hosts in the Super Over. Surya was also a part of the Indian cricket team that got the better of South Africa in the T20 World Cup final last month to win the title for the second time. In the final phase of the game, Surya completed a phenomenal catch to send David Miller back to the dressing room. The catch, eventually, turned out to be the turning point as India earned a memorable win to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri recently recalled Suryakumar Yadav’s match-winning catch against South Africa. “Oh Surya. It was under my nose, so I got a better view than anybody else. Because, I had the monitor in front of me and I was tall enough to just peek over to clear anything. Because that helped my commentary as well, Ian (Smith) was calling it, he said it and I said ‘When it went up, on the replay David Miller will not like what he sees because that catch is clean’,” Ravi Shastri told the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“So come what may, whatever people say, to hell with that, that was clean, nothing moved and I saw it with my eyes from 20 feet upstairs and then I saw it on the monitor as well. I think that was a game-changer because you know what David (Miller) can do. If that had gone for six, then suddenly it comes down to nine (10) to win. Another big shot and then the game’s in the balance. So I thought the timing couldn’t have been better,” the ex-India cricketer added.

Sharing a video of Ravi Shastri’s reaction on Instagram, the official handle of ICC wrote, “Ravi Shastri talks fondly about ‘that SKY catch.’”

Suryakumar Yadav was India’s star figure in the third and final T20I against Sri Lanka yesterday. The India skipper was adjudged Player of the Series in the T20Is.