IND vs SA: "Suryakumar Yadav Wanted To Be Aggressive": KL Rahul Applauds Teammate's Batting Approach

KL Rahul, the opening batsman for India, praised Suryakumar Yadav’s strategy against South Africa. In Thiruvananthapuram, both Rahul and Yadav scored fifty runs to lead India to an easy 8-wicket victory.

The T20I series between Team India and South Africa got off to a respectable 8-wicket start on Wednesday in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Men in Blue completed the pursuit of the mark with 20 balls remaining after holding the Proteas to a meagre 106/8 in 20 overs. The undefeated 93-run stand between KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar destroyed the opposition’s top order.

After three years, Team India visited Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium, and supporters were eager to see their favourite athletes perform. Outside the stadium, life-size cutouts of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were already there, and in one matchday, a sizable crowd arrived to support India.

“Suryakumar Yadav to come out with that approach was phenomenal”: KL Rahul

KL Rahul, who had a perfect 51 of 56, praised Suryakumar Yadav for his outstanding aggression. The Indian player who started the game commented.

“This was a hard effort. Surya’s decision to play the shots and come out was incredible. We could see how the ball was flying, so Surya’s decision to take that stance was incredible. He wanted to be aggressive and challenge the bowler after the first ball. He claimed he wanted to make some runs and play his shots. That made it easier for me to play one end slowly.”

Rahul and Yadav each produced superb half-centuries, which enabled India to reach its target of 107 runs in 16.4 overs. Before it, Indian bowlers put on impressive performances as Singh and Deepak Chahar decimated South Africa’s batting order, which at one point had them at 9 for 5.

The second game of the three-game T20I series will now take place in Guwahati on October 2, where India will now take on South Africa.

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