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When Suryakumar Yadav pumped T Natarajan over long off for a six to complete his sensational hundred and with it Mumbai Indians' win, he almost seemed numb, shaking his head with a smile as Tilak Varma joined him to celebrate.
The star batter took his time to let the moment sink in amidst a thunderous round of applause in the Wankhede cauldron. While he was visibly and understandably tired, there was also a sense of relief as he took his team over the line after a tough last game.
For Surya, it seemed like a closure to the heartbreak that Mumbai Indians suffered just three nights ago in similar circumstances against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The star batter was threatening to single-handedly pull off a special win, albeit with more wickets lost for MI.
However, he could only get a top edge on a juicy full toss from Andre Russell and had to depart as Phil Salt took the catch. Surya stood in disbelief and understandably as he was expected to deposit such deliveries into the stands ten times out of ten!
However, that failure against KKR probably played a telling role in motivating Suryakumar Yadav to finish the game when the next opportunity came calling. Little would he have imagined that destiny would give him that opportunity within 72 hours, against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Suryakumar Yadav ensured there was no deja vu for MI
The SunRisers could only muster 172/8 in their 20 overs, which, at the toss, would have seemed like a total any captain would be happy to chase at the Wankhede. However, the partnership of 37 runs between skipper Pat Cummins and Sanvir Singh at the end gave SRH some momentum.
From 136/8, MI would have liked to restrict them to around 150-odd but the 20 extra runs were enough to send shivers down the stands packed with MI fans. The anxiety was palpable given what happened against Kolkata where Mumbai failed to score nearly the same target on a similar pitch and against an attack that was a bowler short.
MI's worst fears were realized with the ball moving around and Bhuvneshwar Kumar turning back the clock. Test match line and length were proving to be effective as Pat Cummins and Co. were all over the hosts like a rash.
Suryakumar Yadav got an absolute peach upfront from Cummins which almost shaved his off stump. The batter could only smile as he knew some luck was needed to survive the spell.
Namar Dhir's nine-ball duck left Mumbai tottering at 31/3 and the cross-batted hack caught in the first slip was the perfect representation of how MI batters were handling the banana swing. But Surya showed again that no game was over until he was around.
Having faced five balls without opening the scoring, SKY was expected to unleash one of his trademark flick shots, albeit a high-risk option, with the ball swinging. However, he surprised everyone with a gorgeous off-drive to open his account, showing signs that it was probably going to be his day.
Having played domestic cricket for Mumbai for several years, Suryakumar Yadav knew what his options were at the Wankhede with the ball swinging, which he also mentioned at the post-match presentation. He was content to see off the initial burst from Bhuvneshwar and Cummins and while the required run rate began to rise, the star batter knew exactly when to shift gears.
One of his great abilities has been to put the pressure back on the opposition, even when the latter seemed to be on top. Be it during his sensational hundred against England at Trent Bridge or his incredible 68 against South Africa in the T20 World Cup, SKY knew when to flick the switch.
That came in the seventh over of the chase bowled by Marco Jansen. A fine flick towards mid-wicket was followed by a powerful shot down the ground for back-to-back boundaries.
Aware that Jansen was going to cramp him for room, he gleefully accepted the invitation by coming inside the line of delivery and depositing the ball over fine leg for a six with his trademark Supla Shot. SKY wasn't done as he pulled off a similar shot for another six to complete the over that effectively set the juggernaut rolling. Once it was in full flow, there was no way back for SRH.
SKY's knock was the showstopper in Mumbai 'playing for the badge'
Earlier in the day, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya spoke about the importance of playing for the badge and for the fans, with MI nearly out of the playoffs race. While speaking about it is one thing, the hosts ensured on Monday that they backed it up with performance.
Suryakumar Yadav's hundred was the highlight of a clinical performance from the whole team against arguably the most feared batting line-up in IPL 2024. Talks of the 300-run mark being breached were rife on social media after MI opted to bowl first. Notably, SRH had already smashed 277 in the reverse fixture.
While luck wasn't on MI's side with the ball in the powerplay, they bowled with a purpose that was lacking all season. Jasprit Bumrah bowled two overs in the powerplay, a move advocated by fans and pundits alike. He delivered as expected, giving away just nine runs and picking up a wicket.
Young Anshul Kambhoj's returns of 1/42 won't show the good work he put in and almost dismissed Travis Head twice. The two no-balls and a dropped catch dented his figures, but the Haryana all-rounder showed glimpses that he could be another talented find from the famed MI scouting system.
Piyush Chawla weaved his magic with three wickets that included the big scalps of Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. And not just MI, but also Indian fans would be thrilled to see the uptick in Hardik Pandya's bowling form.
He has picked up seven wickets in his last three games, a massive difference from the four scalps he picked in his first seven matches. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, his figures of 3/31 were a welcome news for Indian cricket.
Suryakumar Yadav added 143* runs with Tilak Varma for the fourth wicket and the latter's contribution of 37*(32) also deserves a mention. The southpaw also spoke after the match about the phase where SKY seemed to be struggling with a niggle. However, Tilak pushed Surya to keep playing his shots and ensured he kept his wicket intact at the other end.
"At that moment he (SKY) was batting really well. So I thought that he should be scoring a hundred today. So I just told him in between 'I will just take a single I don't want to hit because you have done a tremendous job'. I am happy he scored the hundred and I remained not out," Tilak told the host broadcaster.
Skipper Hardik Pandya's "he breaks you" comment in the post-match presentation was an apt representation of SKY's impact on the opposition.
"For you, 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙝𝙚𝙙𝙚," read Suryakumar Yadav's latest post on X (formerly Twitter), dedicating his hundred to the loyal followers of the Blue and Gold.
It seemed like an acknowledgement that Surya and the rest of the team were pleased to give something back to the fans in a season of turmoil.
With two more games to go, Mumbai will look to spoil some more parties and will likely get support from fans of other teams hoping for results to go their way. From India's point of view, SKY's hundred is a welcome boost and yet another indication of what he is capable of if his entry point is nailed during the T20 World Cup in June.
Suryakumar Yadav's willow worked like a magic wand that destroyed SRH's tactics. India would be praying that his wand orchestrates more such magical spells in June to end their 11-year wait for glory.
