A fortnight ago, the Indian cricket team, which included Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli, were dumped out unceremoniously by England at the semi-final stage of the T20 World Cup. The post-mortem of that performance has been quite detailed and nuanced. Understandably so too.
At the forefront of that discussion has been India’s timid batting approach. Against England, they crawled along to 168, largely thanks to Hardik Pandya’s death-overs brilliance. That, though, was hardly enough as England cruised to the target with four overs to spare, and without losing a single wicket.
In that game, Kohli also registered a fifty. His innings, however, came off 40 balls, at a strike rate of just 125. Kohli’s staunchest supporters have defended that knock, saying that it was a necessary anchor-like innings that was needed to ensure India reached 168. But in today’s day and age, just having a par total might no longer be enough.
The merits and demerits of the way India batted at the T20 World Cup can be debated long into any night. With KL Rahul, Kohli and Rohit all inclined to consume deliveries before teeing off, India were always playing with fire. Rohit, for all the talk before the tournament, could not bat with greater intent in the moments that mattered. And Kohli, for all the runs that he scored, did not score them quick enough throughout the T20 World Cup.
What then is the template India should be following moving forward in T20I cricket? Well, it is pretty close to what Suryakumar is doing.
Suryakumar Yadav crafted a sensational hundred on Sunday
First things first. There are certain things that only Suryakumar is capable of. The sliced six over backward point off good deliveries, the scoops over fine leg, the inside out maximums over extra cover and the whips off his pads. These are strokes that only he can dream about, and pull off.
What is equally important, though, is the way he builds his innings. At the start of any knock, he plays risk-free cricket. Risk-free cricket can have different definitions for different batters. And it is vital that this is understood.
On Sunday, Suryakumar wafted at a couple of deliveries outside off stump when facing Lockie Ferguson. Rather than retreating into his shell, he then pulled out the scoop, getting enough bat to clear the keeper and first slip. A scoop, for most batters, is not a risk-free stroke. For Suryakumar, it is. It is as conventional for him as a forward defence.
For a chunk of his innings, it felt that Suryakumar was trying to anchor and ensure that wickets did not fall. He still reached his half-century off 32 balls. If that does not sound ludicrous enough, his career T20I strike rate would have actually dropped had he been dismissed off his 33rd ball. That is the level he is operating at, and while that is a peak very few will end up scaling, the method to his madness is not very unattainable.
This article, just to make things clear, is not asking any Indian batter to do something out of the ordinary. Instead, it is about batting with the right attacking mindset and backing the strokes that you are most comfortable with.
For Rahul, it could be that flick he plays off his pads. For Ishan Kishan, it could be the pick-up shot over square leg. And for Kohli, it could be something as simple as a cover drive while dancing down the track to a spinner.
Whatever this release stroke is, it will only come to fruition if the batter thinks that he can nail it. At the T20 World Cup, India seemed too afraid of trying these things, let alone fetch themselves fruitful returns. Thus, when the pressure was amped up, they were left shellshocked.
The counter-argument is that this does not guarantee consistency. Yes, it does not. But whenever it comes off, like it has done for Suryakumar more often than not, it will end up making a positive difference for the side. That is what is most important in T20I cricket. It is not about how long you bat. It is about the impact you create when at the crease.
After the game, Suryakumar was asked what his recipe for success was in this format. He said it was pretty simple. He quipped that this format is all about having the right intent throughout, and that irrespective of the situation, you should enjoy yourself.
That is what he has been doing ever since he made his T20I debut and hit Jofra Archer for that six to get off the mark in international cricket. That is what he did at the T20 World Cup, nearly masking all of India’s other weaknesses and almost papering over the cracks that ultimately ensured their campaign unravelled at the penultimate stage.
More importantly, though, this is how T20I cricket is to be played. Yes, any high-quality cricketer must appreciate different situations. But they should still back their instincts and only think about the defensive or more conservative option when there are no other alternatives available.
Suryakumar does that to the tee. Whenever you watch him bat, he has that swagger, irrespective of whether India are staring down the barrel, or have gotten off to a flier. And that is possibly what sets him apart and has cast him as arguably the greatest T20I batter India have ever produced.
A lot of other players might have greater records, might have more centuries, and might have more followers on social media. But if India are looking for a T20I reset, or reboot, or a new blueprint, this is the template that they need to follow.
Attack, attack, and attack again. Take no backward step, and even if you fail, don’t let it cloud your judgement. Back what you know has always been working for you, and if that does not yield the desired outcome, at least you’ll know that you have tried and given it your best shot.
No more what-ifs, and no more dying wondering, thinking what could have been, had there been more runs on the board. It’s not easy, especially in a country that is still coming to grips with what needs to be valued most in the shortest format.
The good thing, though, is India don’t need to look too far for inspiration. They have greatness in their midst in Suryakumar Yadav.
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