Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about the catch he took to dismiss David Miller in the final over which was instrumental in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 title win on Saturday in Barbados.
Yadav insisted that he "hadn't touched the rope" despite many videos on social media claiming that he was in contact with the boundary line while completing the catch.
"Rohit [Sharma] bhai usually never stands at long-on but at that moment he was there," Suryakumar told The Indian Express. "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. But he was nowhere close. In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can't explain.
"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. If the ball had gone for six, the equation would have been five balls, ten runs. We might have still won, but the margin would have been closer."
Speaking about motivation behind taking the catch, Suryakumar said that fielding coach T Dilip had introduced a fielding medal after every match, which ensured "everyone wants to do something extra on the ground."
"The catch I took, I have practised it at different grounds, depending on the wind," he said. "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. My mind was clear that I have to catch it come what may.
"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. Yesterday's catch was the reward of the hard work done over the years."