Ahmedabad: India captain Suryakumar Yadav has made it clear that there will be no shift in the team’s aggressive approach despite a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa national cricket team in their Super-Eights clash at Ahmedabad on Sunday (February 22).
The loss has pushed India to the brink of elimination in the tournament, with their semi-final hopes now hinging on results in the remaining fixtures. However, Suryakumar stressed that the team will continue to play the “same brand of cricket” and learn from its mistakes rather than retreat into a defensive mindset.
South Africa recover after early blows
Ahmedabad witnessed a dramatic turnaround after India made an impressive start with the ball. South Africa were reduced to 20 for 3 inside the first four overs, thanks to disciplined bowling from the Indian attack.
Leading the charge was Jasprit Bumrah, who delivered a fiery spell, finishing with outstanding figures of 3 for 15 in his four overs. Arshdeep Singh provided strong support, picking up 2 for 28 and maintaining pressure in the powerplay.
However, South Africa staged a strong recovery. David Miller anchored the innings with a brisk 63 off 35 balls, counter-attacking with authority. Dewald Brevis contributed a fluent 45 off 29 deliveries, while Tristan Stubbs remained unbeaten on 44, guiding the visitors to a competitive total of 187 for 7 in 20 overs.
Suryakumar admitted that the period between overs seven and fifteen proved decisive, as South Africa built crucial partnerships after the early setbacks.
“I think we bowled really well in the beginning, 21 for 3, and the way they batted after that from seven to fifteen, I think they batted really well,” he said during the post-match presentation.
India’s powerplay collapse proves costly
Chasing a target in the region of 180–185, India needed a stable start. Instead, the top order faltered under pressure. The hosts slumped to 51 for 5 in the powerplay, effectively putting the chase out of reach.
Suryakumar reflected candidly on the batting collapse. “If you’re chasing 180-185, you can’t win the game in the powerplay, but you might lose the game in the powerplay. We lost too many wickets in the powerplay and then we couldn’t have small, small partnerships which we wanted,” he said.
Despite a fighting 42 off 37 balls from Shivam Dube, India were bowled out for 111 in 18.5 overs.
South Africa’s bowlers capitalised on the early breakthroughs. Marco Jansen returned figures of 4 for 22, dismantling the middle order. Keshav Maharaj claimed 3 for 24 with his disciplined spin, while Corbin Bosch chipped in with 2 for 12 to wrap up the innings.
Captain backs team’s intent
Despite the heavy defeat, Suryakumar maintained that India were competitive for large parts of the game.
“I feel we were always in the game when we started,” he said. “Overall, if we see, we bowled really well, but we could have batted a little better. That’s part of the game. We learn from it, we’ll sit back and then come back stronger.”
The captain’s comments underline the team’s commitment to an attacking philosophy that has defined their recent T20 approach. Rather than retreating into caution, the management appears intent on sticking with positive cricket, even in high-pressure situations.
Semi-final hopes hang in balance
The defeat has complicated India’s path to the semi-finals. Another loss — either against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday or against West Indies in Mumbai on March 1 — would end their campaign in the Super-Eights stage despite entering the tournament as favourites.
The margin of defeat also impacts net run rate, adding further pressure on the team to secure convincing wins in their remaining matches.
Cricket analysts believe that while the bowling unit, particularly Bumrah, has shown consistency, the batting order must quickly regroup to keep the campaign alive.
Road ahead
As India prepare for their next clash, the focus will be on stabilising the top order and building partnerships during the chase. The captain’s backing of the current approach suggests no major tactical overhaul is on the cards.
With the tournament entering a crucial phase, India will need both composure and clarity to bounce back. Whether their aggressive brand of cricket yields success in the must-win games ahead will determine if their semi-final aspirations remain alive.
For now, Suryakumar’s message is clear: the intent stays the same — but execution must improve.
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