Saurabh Netravalkar and Suryakumar Yadav share a strong bond off the field, with the Indian T20I captain previously supporting Netravalkar during the T20 World Cup 2024. The USA pacer later reciprocated the gesture, calling Suryakumar a ‘brother.’ However, when it comes to on-field action, Suryakumar has consistently held the upper hand, and the February 7 clash at Wankhede Stadium was no different.
The 35-year-old produced a masterclass innings, smashing an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls. His knock was particularly remarkable as India found themselves in deep trouble at 77/6. With the batters struggling heavily and their usual strategies failing, Suryakumar led from the front, guiding the team to a challenging yet competitive total of 161.
The key to India’s resurgence was the captain’s punishing assault on Netravalkar. He unleashed a flurry of boundaries, scoring 21 runs in the final over, ensuring the team crossed the 160-run mark, which is a total that had once looked improbable. Netravalkar finished the day with 65 runs in four overs, setting a new record for the most runs conceded by a bowler in a single T20 World Cup match. The previous record of 64 runs, held by Sanath Jayasuriya, had stood for 19 years since it was set against Pakistan in the 2007 edition.
Most expensive spell in T20 World Cup history:
| Players | Overs | Runs leaked | Opponent |
| Saurabh Netravalkar | 4 | 65 | India |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 4 | 64 | Pakistan |
| Mashrafe Mortaza | 4 | 63 | Pakistan |
| LN Onyango | 4 | 61 | Sri Lanka |
| Stuart Broad | 4 | 60 | India |
| Mitchell Starc | 4 | 60 | New Zealand |
Shadley van Schalkwyk rattles India’s batting unit
Leading to the tournament, India were riding a wave of hype, with promotions suggesting they could breach the 300-run mark. Reality, however, proved harsh as several batters struggled to assert themselves. Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube were dismissed for golden ducks, while Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan found it tough to gain any momentum. Even Hardik Pandya failed to make a meaningful impact.
For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk was outstanding with the ball, picking up four crucial wickets. They would have been satisfied keeping India under 140, but Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive innings completely shifted the balance of the match.
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