T20 World Cup 2024: If you have been number one, you should be able to bat in different conditions – Suryakumar Yadav

India’s batter Suryakumar Yadav feels it is important to adjust to different conditions to deliver the goods at the top level. SKY is the number one T20I batter in the ICC rankings and he is going to hold the key for the Indian team in the Super 8 stage.

Yadav scored a match-winning knock of 50 runs off just 49 balls against the USA to help his team get over the line in the run-chase of 111. The right-hander added 72 runs for the fourth wicket with Shivam Dube, who scored 31 runs off 35 balls.

The Mumbai Indians batter could only score seven runs against arch-rivals Pakistan but he was able to deliver the goods against the USA.

“If have you been number one for two years, you should be able to bat in different conditions and change the game as per the needs of the team. That displays good batsmanship and that is what I try,” said Suryakumar during a media interaction here on Tuesday.

“It’s difficult to generate that force when there’s no pace on the wicket and when someone has read your game nicely. So, at that time, you have to be very smart how you want to extend your innings.

“You have to change according to the situation, what team demands at that moment and talk to your partner who is inside, calm your nerves down and then take the innings ahead.”

SKY admitted the conditions were challenging in New York as run-scoring was difficult. There was a lot of help for the bowlers but India was able to win three games to make it to the next round.

“I was happy playing there as well (laughs). It’s not that we weren’t happy playing there, but we were playing for the first time, so yes, the conditions were different and little challenging as well. But we have played here (in West Indies), we know the conditions.”

“The practice pitches, yeah, they were a little spicy in New York. It was fresh. They made the conditions after they got to know there is a World Cup there. Here they have been making pictures regularly and they are much better than (USA),” he said.

India will begin their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.