'I KNEW I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE ROPE': WITH CONTROVERSY SOARING, SURYAKUMAR YADAV HIMSELF CLEARS THE AIR
Even as the controversy around Suryakumar Yadav's catch to dismiss David Miller keeps going around in cricketing circles, the ace India batter has said that once he took the catch, he knew very well he hadn't touched the ropes. He was reflecting on the catch he took to dismiss Miller at the long-off fence in the final over to tilt the T20 World Cup final in India's favour.
Had that shot gone for a six, there were high chances that Miller might have took the game and the trophy away from India.
With Miller out of the equation, South Africa's tailenders couldn't chase down the required 16 runs off the last five deliveries and India went on to win the World Cup.
Related News |"Rohit bhai usually never stands at long-on but at that moment he was there. So when the ball was coming, for a second I looked at him and he looked at me. I ran and my aim was to catch the ball. Had he [Rohit] been closer, I would have thrown the ball towards him," SKY said while speaking to The Indian Express.
There have been multiple videos doing the rounds which claim that SKY might have touched the boundary rope while trying to get hold of the ball but the umpire didn't find any conclusive evidence for the same during the match.
"When I pushed the ball 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. In hindsight, anything could have happened," SKY added.
Related News |The India batter revealed the method which has helped him and his teammates perfect such catches, besides thanking fielding coach T Dilip for motivating the players with the fielding medal.
"The catch I took, I have practised it at different grounds, depending on the wind. I was standing a bit wide because Hardik [Pandya] and Rohit bhai had put a field for the wide yorker, and [David] Miller had hit straight," SKYsaid.
"A day before the game, we do a quality fielding session where for 10-12 minutes, we have more than ten high catches, flat catches, direct hits, slip catching. It's not a one-day exercise, I practice these kinds of catches during IPL, during bilateral series," SKY added.
The India batter revealed that such catches would not have been possible without working on his fitness. SKY spent four months on the sidelines from November 2023 to March 2024, recovering from a sports hernia.
"I remember last August, I was at around 93 kg, maybe because I was having too much local food. I got injured and then had a hernia operation. I went to NCA from January 1 to April 1 [this year]. Even during off days, I used to not go home because I knew Monday morning would be my session," SKY said.
"I ate proper food prepared by my chef. I used to sleep sharp at 10pm and get up early in the morning. Even now, I have decided on my meals for the next week with the help of the chef and nutritionist; they decide how much protein and fat I will have daily, how much water I need to take with my food," SKY added.
SKY is expected to be seen in action when India take on Sri Lanka in a white-ball series beginning July 27.
2024-07-02T05:50:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd