“Whatever happened, I can't explain” - When Suryakumar Yadav opened up on his iconic catch in the 2024 T20 World Cup final

Team India are celebrating the first anniversary of their iconic 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. On June 29, 2024, the Men in Blue beat South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

While there were many key moments in the final, Suryakumar Yadav's sensational catch on the boundary to dismiss the dangerous David Miller in the last over proved to be the ultimate turning point in the game. Miller launched a wide full toss from Hardik Pandya down the ground. Running in from wide long-off, Suryakumar pulled off a sensational balancing act near the ropes to complete the catch.

Speaking about the legendary piece of fielding, the Mumbai Indians (MI) star told The Indian Express a few days after the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados that he knew he hadn't touched the ropes while completing the catch. The current Indian T20I skipper recalled:

"When the ball was coming, for a second I looked at him [Rohit Sharma] and he looked at me. I ran and my aim was to catch the ball. Had he been closer, I would have thrown the ball towards him. But he was nowhere close. In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can't explain."

"When I pushed the ball [up and inside the playing area] and took the catch, I knew I hadn't touched the rope. The only thing I was cautious about was that when I pushed the ball back inside, my feet don't touch the rope. I knew it was a fair catch," Suryakumar went on to add.

Set a target of 177, South Africa needed 16 runs off the last over bowled by Pandya. Miller (21 off 17), however, perished to the first ball, while Suryakumar took a much simpler catch to dismiss Kagiso Rabada off the penultimate delivery.

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Suryakumar Yadav's batting stats in 2024 T20 World Cup

Apart from taking the sensational catch in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, Suryakumar was also one of the batting stars of the Men in Blue's campaign in the ICC event. In eight innings in the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the United States and West Indies, the right-handed batter scored 199 runs at an average of 28.42 and a strike rate of 135.37, with two half-centuries.

Suryakumar hit 50* off 49 balls in the group match against USA in New York and then hammered 53 off 28 deliveries against Afghanistan in Bridgetown, slamming five fours and three sixes. In the semifinal against England in Guyana, he contributed a crucial 47 off 36, a knock which featured four fours and two sixes.