"Pretty sure Mohammed Siraj bhai was going to bowl"- Riyan Parag taken aback by Suryakumar Yadav's tactics

It has taken Suryakumar Yadav just one series, or rather one game, to show why he was given the responsibility to lead Team India in T20Is ahead of Hardik Pandya after Rohit Sharma's retirement.

India was staring down the barrel in the third T20I against Sri Lanka after being restricted to a modest total of 137/9. Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue were reeling at 48/5 at one stage but eventually managed to post a respectable total thanks to vital contributions from the likes of Shubman Gill (39), Riyan Parag (26) and Washington Sundar (25).

In reply, Sri Lanka remained in control of the chase for most of the innings and eventually needed just 9 runs from the last two overs. The game looked done and dusted at that stage as not many were expecting India to even challenge Sri Lanka let alone win the contest.

Suryakumar Yadav, however, had not given up yet. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve. In the 19th over, he handed the ball to Rinku Singh even though Mohammed Siraj had an over left. Siraj had conceded only 11 runs in his first three overs and was expected to deliver the crucial over.

However, with a well-set Kusal Perera at the crease, the India skipper threw the ball to Rinku who had never bowled in a T20I match before. The move paid off as Rinku dismissed Perera and Ramesh Mendis while conceding only 3 runs.

Riyan Parag on Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy:

Suryakumar Yadav was not done yet. He sprung another surprise by deciding to bowl the final over when Sri Lanka needed 6 runs. The India captain went on to justify his call by conceding 5 runs and taking 2 wickets too as the match was tied before the Men in Blue won the Super Over to pull off a win from the jaws of defeat.

And it seems like Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy calls have not only surprised the fans but his teammates as well. Riyan Parag has said that even he was expecting Siraj to bowl the last over and was taken aback by his captain's call.

"It was very spontaneous, Rinku bhai bowling the 19th over. I was pretty sure Siraj bhai was going to bowl the last over but then Surya bhai just came on to bowl and got it to a Super Over," said Riyan Parag after the game.