Rohit Sharma issues an official statement after Suryakumar Yadav's India clean sweep Sri Lanka

Former Indian T20I captain Rohit Sharma has congratulated the team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, after securing a series victory against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma praised the Indian cricket team's strong performance throughout the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka and shared his message on social media.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led team secured a victory in the third and final T20I match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, July 30. The Men in Blue completed a 3-0 whitewash after beating Sri Lanka in a Super Over. It marks the beginning of the Suryakumar and Gautam Gambhir era for India.

The Indian batters struggled to score after being asked to bat first. The Men in Blue managed to score just 137 runs in 20 overs. Shubman Gill was the top scorer with 39 runs from 37 deliveries, including three boundaries. Riyan Parag (26) and Washington Sundar (25) added valuable runs lower down the order.

In response, the Lankans got off to a decent start as openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis added 58 runs for the first wicket in 8.5 overs. Mendis added a 52-run partnership with Kusal Perera for the second wicket. However, the home team suffered a collapse towards the end of the run chase.

Well Done Team - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format last month, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to appreciate the team for the series victory. Rohit posted the picture of Suryakumar Yadav and the team lifting the T20I trophy.

“Perfect start. Well done Team,” wrote Rohit on X.

Perfect start ✅
Well done Team 🇮🇳👏 pic.twitter.com/WnjjXWJnia

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) July 30, 2024

Suryakumar Yadav handed the ball to Rinku Singh when Sri Lanka needed nine runs to win in the last two overs. Singh took two wickets and conceded just three runs in the penultimate over. Yadav then bowled the final over and gave away only five runs. The third T20I match ended in a tie, leading to the Super Over.

Washington Sundar took two crucial wickets of Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka off consecutive deliveries. When only three runs were needed for victory, Suryakumar Yadav sealed the win with a boundary on the final ball. Sundar was named Player of the Match, while Yadav was awarded Player of the Series.

Mohammed Siraj Was Going Bowl That Last Over - Riyan Parag

Speaking after the match, Riyan Parag said that they expected Mohammed Siraj to bowl the last over, but Suryakumar Yadav decided to roll his arm over. Parag emphasized they want to play hard while having fun.

"It was fun, we didn’t feel the nerves, we planned it in such a way that it was very spontaneous. Thought Siraj was going to bowl that last over and Surya bhai decided to roll his arm over. That’s our motto, we play hard but we have fun as well," Parag said after the match.

Also read: Dinesh Mongia named as head coach of Goa; JP Yadav to serve as U-23 coach