Suryakumar Yadav breaks silence on T20 World Cup cheating allegations

Amidst discussions on social media over the authenticity of his decisive catch in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa that led to David Miller’s dismissal, Team India star Suryakumar Yadav has broken his silence on the entire controversy.

Suryakumar Yadav’s catch of David Miller proved to be the decisive moment in the thriller. But when the Proteas batsman slammed the ball towards the long-on boundary, Suryakumar Yadav’s heart was in his mouth as a six would have put the Aiden Markram-led side in a strong position in the match.

However, Suryakumar Yadav pulled off an absolutely stunning knock to end South Africa’s hopes with David Miller being the last recognised batsman in the middle. While the third umpire gave a call-off to his catch, people on social media called him a ‘cheater’ after a video showed his foot touching the rope.

The evidence, however, remains inconclusive.

Speaking on the controversy during an interaction with an Indian publication, Suryakumar Yadav dismissed the allegations of cheating, saying he did not touch the boundary line while attempting the catch.

“Rohit bhai usually never stands for long but at that moment he was there. So when the ball came, for a second I looked at him and he looked at me. I ran and my aim was to catch the ball. If he (Rohit) had been closer, I would have thrown the ball towards him. But he was not close at all. In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can’t explain,” Suryakumar Yadav told The Indian Express.

“When I pushed the ball (up and inside the crease) and caught the ball, I knew I hadn’t touched the rope. The only thing I was paying attention to was that when I pushed the ball back inside, my feet weren’t touching the rope. I knew it was a fair catch. In hindsight, anything could have happened. If the ball had been thrown for six points, it would have been five balls, 10 points. We might still have won, but the margin would have been narrower,” he added.

“Our fielding coach (T) Dilip sir has said that Surya, Virat (Kohli), Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja should always play in the hot zones, where there is the highest chance of the ball going through,” Suryakumar Yadav continued.

“I practiced the catch on different pitches, depending on the wind. I was a little bit out because Hardik (Pandya) and Rohit bhai had fielded the wide yorker, and Miller had hit it straight. My mind was clear: I had to catch it no matter what,” he revealed.

“The day before the match, we do a quality game session where for 10-12 minutes we do more than ten high catches, flat catches, direct hits, sliding catches. It’s not a one-day drill, I practice these kinds of catches during the IPL, during the bilateral series. Yesterday’s catch was the reward for the hard work put in over the years,” Suryakumar Yadav explained.

“I remember last August, I weighed around 93 kg, maybe because I was eating too much local produce. I got injured and then underwent a hernia surgery. I went to the NCA (BCCI’s National Cricket Academy) from January 1 to April 1 (this year). Even on the rest days, I didn’t go home because I knew Monday morning would be my session. I couldn’t waste time,” he noted.

“I used to eat food prepared by my chef. I used to sleep at 10 pm and wake up early in the morning. Even today, I decide my meals for the next week with the help of the chef and the nutritionist. They decide how much protein and fat I will consume daily, how much water I should take with my food. We have a group for this, of which my wife is a part. They decide and I follow them. That has helped me here,” said Suryakumar Yadav.

“I can’t explain what happened in those four or five seconds. I got a lot of reactions, people called me, sent me messages, I have over 1,000 unread WhatsApp messages on my phone. The trap is all over social media. I’m grateful I was there for those five seconds of play,” he concluded.

On Saturday, in the summit clash of the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa, India won the toss and decided to bat first.

The men in blue lost two early wickets of captain Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant. However, on the sport’s biggest stage, Virat Kohli held his hand high by scoring an impressive 76 off 59 balls.

Virat Kohli held the Indian innings together by blocking one end while the other batters like Axar Patel and Shivam Dube played around him.

It should be remembered that the Delhi-born cricketer was entering the final after seven consecutive failures in the 2024 T20 World Cup, including ducks against the USA and Australia.

But when the Indian cricket team found itself in a deep hole, and when it mattered the most, Virat Kohli was the one who delivered, proving Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid right.

With the dry pitch at Kensington Oval making it difficult for the batters to score runs, Virat Kohli quickly realised that it was not a track to play aggressive cricket and quickly changed gears.

From an aggressor, he turned into an accumulator, who anchored the Indian innings, allowing Axar Patel and Shivam Dube to play their natural game. This tactic gave them the right to go for the kill. While the former contributed 47 off 31, the latter played an entertaining cameo of 27 off 16 balls.

More importantly, both were involved in crucial partnerships of 72 and 57 runs, respectively, with Virat Kohli.

The trinity were responsible for India’s final total of 176/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Needing 177 to clinch their maiden International Cricket Council (ICC) title, South Africa were rocked early on by India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah batting in the second over before his new ball partner Arshdeep Singh removed Proteas captain Aiden Markram in the third over.

At 2/12, the South African team looked set to collapse. But things started to change quickly when veteran Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs combined to put on a 58-run partnership.

Subsequently, the momentum completely swung in South Africa’s favour when Heinrich Klaasen took on the Indian spinners and brought the equation back to 30 runs from 30 balls.

Just when it seemed certain that the Rainbow Nation would lift the T20 World Cup trophy in the Caribbean, a short injury break taken by Rishabh Pant turned the match on its head.

The break caused a lapse in concentration from Heinrich Klaasen, who lost his wicket to Hardik Pandya for 52 off 27 deliveries in the 17th over.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled the 18th over and didn’t give up. He even scalped Marko Jenson to get a foot in the door.

As the pressure mounted on David Miller and only the tail followed, the South Africans buckled under the pressure as India snatched defeat from the hands of defeat to win their first T20 World Cup title after 17 years.

Moreover, the Indian team’s 7-run win over South Africa helped the sub-continental powerhouse end their 11-year wait for an ICC title and 13-year World Cup drought.

India’s last World Cup win came in 2011 while they won their first T20 World Cup crown in 2007. Both these victories in white-ball cricket were won by the legendary MS Dhoni.