Suryakumar Yadav’s insane Matrix-style leave off Josh Hazlewood in 1st T20I breaks the internet

Suryakumar Yadav is currently leading Team India in the first T20I of the five-match series against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29. The right-handed batter grabbed attention with his leave to a short ball from Josh Hazlewood, and the video clip went viral on social media.

Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl first. Matthew Short was ruled out of the series, and Josh Philippe returned to the national cricket team as a specialist batter. Meanwhile, the visiting team benched left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh in favour of young pacer Harshit Rana.

Suryakumar Yadav Grabs Attention With His Leave to Short Ball From Josh Hazlewood

Suryakumar Yadav came to the crease after the early dismissal of left-handed batter Abhishek Sharma. Nathan Ellis provided the first breakthrough for his team by dismissing Sharma, who scored 19 runs off 14 balls with four boundaries.

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Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood delivered a short-pitched ball to Suryakumar Yadav on the first ball of the fifth over of India’s innings. The ball was aimed at the off-stump and angled slightly inward.

SKY bent his knees to leave the ball. The commentators noted that he seemed surprised by the short delivery, comparing the smooth maneuver to a move from The Matrix..

"(After SKY leaves the ball) Looks like he didn't mean that. He just stuck at the crease, the commentator said.

"Yeah, because, uh, you're right. Hazlewood looked back at the bowling mark there. Either way, it looked like a good delivery. Got onto him quickly," another commentator stated.

Facing his second ball of the night, Suryakumar Yadav pulled out a leave even Neo from the Matrix would have been proud of 😱#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/WyAlcVUjrS

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 29, 2025

First T20I Between India and Australia Disrupted by Rain

The first T20I was disrupted by rain, leading to a revised contest of 18 overs per side. According to the adjusted playing conditions, the PowerPlay was reduced to 5.2 overs. Three bowlers were permitted to bowl a maximum of four overs each, while two others could deliver up to three.

India made a strong start after being asked to bat, reaching 97/1 in 9.4 overs before rain interrupted play once again. Shubman Gill was batting on 37 from 20 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav was also looking in fine touch, scoring 39 off 24 deliveries with three fours and two sixes. The rain break halted India’s momentum just as they appeared set for a massive total.

Suryakumar Yadav's Recent Form A Concern For Team India

Suryakumar Yadav’s recent dip in form was a concern for the team. He led the side to the Asia Cup 2025 title but had disappointing outings with the bat. The batter scored only 72 runs in six innings at an average of 18 and a strike rate of just over 100.

However, he has a good record in Australian conditions. Before the ongoing match, Suryakumar had amassed 239 runs in six T20Is at an impressive average of nearly 60 and a blazing strike rate close to 190, including three fifties.

The right-hander has scored 2,670 runs from 90 matches at an average of 37.08 and a strike rate of 164.20, including four centuries and 21 half-centuries. He is one of the few batters to score four or more centuries in the shorter international format.

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