India captain Suryakumar Yadav jokingly made a remark and said that Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka would probably want to erase that match from memory.
Published: September 10, 2025 8:37 AM IST
New Delhi: India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav clarified that India’s game plan does not rely on part-time bowlers, though he admitted that batters who can bowl are always an added advantage. Under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach, India has increasingly turned to part-time options during key phases.
Players like Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Suryakumar himself have been used with the ball, which provides the team with extra depth and variation in their bowling attack when needed.
Suryakumar Yadav made daring calls last year during Sri Lanka tour
Last year during India’s tour to Sri Lanka, Surya made some daring calls, as he handed Rinku Singh the penultimate over when the hosts needed just 9 runs from 12 balls with six wickets in hand. Despite Mohammed Siraj have an over remaining, Surya backed Rinku, who delivered brilliantly by conceding only three runs and taking two wickets to swing the momentum. With six runs to defend in the final over, Surya took the charge himself, pushing the game into a super over, where India eventually secured victory.
Before the Asia Cup 2025, when Surya was asked about part-time bowlers in reference to the Sri Lanka T20I. The Indian captain jokingly said that Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka would probably want to erase that game from memory.
SKY shared his thoughts on part-time bowlers
SKY also shared his thoughts on part-time bowlers, stating that while the team won’t rely on them too much, having batters who can bowl a few overs provides useful flexibility, particularly on challenging or slow pitches.
“But no, we won’t, we don’t want to get to that extent. But yeah, it’s an added advantage if any batter batting at top order or middle order gives you an extra over in this format. It’s always good for the captain and we might need—any, for example, if a surface is slow or we need a bowler who spins—so it’s always good to have someone rolling their arms for one over or two. But yeah, it’s always good to have someone like that in the pocket,” he added.
Story Highlight
- Suryakumar Yadav clarified that India’s game plan does not rely on part-time bowlers, though he admitted that batters who can bowl are always an added advantage.
- Last year during India’s tour to Sri Lanka, Surya made some daring calls, as he handed Rinku Singh the penultimate over when the hosts needed just 9 runs from 12 balls with six wickets in hand.
- Suryakumar Yadav jokingly said that Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka would probably want to erase that game from memory.
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