‘I stay in my zone and play the game’- Suryakumar Yadav not concerned with the weight of expectations in an India- Pakistan clash
Suryakumar Yadav said that he just tries to play with a free mind and be in a calming state despite all the expectations and hype of on-field rivalry that comes along with the clash involving India and Pakistan. He insisted that despite the magnitude of the fixture, it is just another game for the players when they get into the middle.
Suryakumar Yadav, like all the other fans from India, grew up with a lot of talks and stories about the Indo-Pak games, and with people calling it the mother of all battles. However, Suryakumar explained that India follow the same routine and process as they do for other games.
“Obviously, when I was growing up, there have been lots of talks regarding the India-Pakistan game and people say it’s the greatest rivalry, but when I or anyone go on the ground, it’s like we are playing just another game,” Suryakumar said while talking on Star Sports show ‘Follow the Blues’.
“When we enter the field, all our preparations, all our routines, what we have been doing for any other game, it just reflects on the ground. So, when I go on the ground, it’s all the same. I don’t think what rivalry has been happening and what the expectations from outside etc. are. So, I just try to stay in my zone and play the game,” added Suryakumar.
Suryakumar’s recent form has been tremendous and electric, with an average of 42.83 and a strike rate of 190.37. He has three fifties and one ton in T20Is this year. He was also the Player of the Match in the previous game against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup 2022 after scoring a brilliant knock of 68 in just 26 balls. His former captain Virat Kohli had paid a glowing tribute to Suryakumar Yadav.
For Kohli, it was one of the first experiences watching Suryakumar’s batting prowess from close quarters, from the non-striker’s end. He said that he was “blown away” by what he saw before his eyes in the Hong Kong game. “I honestly believe that the way you (Suryakumar) played today, if you can stay in that zone, you can literally change the complexion of the game against any team in the world,” Kohli told Suryakumar.
