Watch: Suryakumar Yadav's Effortless Six To Reach Fifty In 2nd T20I vs Sri Lanka
It was a scoop-shot played to perfection as Suryakumar added a 13th fifty to his glittering T20I career that also has two centuries.
Suryakumar Yadav, the batting sensation of the Indian cricket team, put up another sizzling show on Thursday night, this time in the second T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The star batter had failed to score big in the first game, but he made sure he played a key role for India in the game that followed. Chasing a big total of 207 against the guests, India kept their hopes alive in the game and Suryakumar's knock was one of the prime reasons.
The batter scored 51 runs off 36 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes. To get to his half-century, Suryakumar picked a short-of-length ball from outside the off stump on the bowling of Dilshan Madushanka and dispatched it over the deep backward square leg for a six. It was a scoop-shot played to perfection as Suryakumar added a 13th fifty to his glittering T20I career that also has two centuries.
Watch Suryakumar Yadav's shot to race to his half-century:
Besides Suryakumar, Axar Patel also struck a blistering fifty in a stunning 91-run stand between them, but India lost the match as Sri Lanka tightened the screws in the nick of time to bag the game by 16 runs. The three-match series is now levelled at 1-1.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka made a rear-guard unbeaten 56 off 22 balls, while wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis hit a 31-ball 52 to power Sri Lanka to an imposing 206 for 6. India had a nightmarish start to their chase slumping to 57 for 5 before Axar (65 off 31) and Surya (51 off 36) raised hopes of an improbable win with a scintillating sixth-wicket stand.
(With PTI Inputs)
India Cricket Team
Sri Lanka Cricket Team
Axar Patel