'Khud ko ullu banaya': Suryakumar Yadav's 'I bluffed myself' gem after Tilak Varma points out SKY's 'wrist-band message'

Team India stayed alive in the five-match series against West Indies, registering a seven-wicket win over the hosts in Guyana during the third T20I on Tuesday. It was an all-round performance from the side as it restricted the Windies to 159/5, before chasing down the target with two overs to spare. Suryakumar Yadav was the star with the bat, scoring a blistering 83 while Tilak Varma also showed composure with an unbeaten 49, as India registered their first win in the series.

India had endured a shaky start to their chase, however, losing two quick wickets as both openers departed without troubling the scorers much. While Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed in the very first over, scoring 1 off 2 balls, Shubman Gill's poor form continued as he endured another single-digit outing, scoring 6. Suryakumar Yadav, then, joined the crease with Tilak Varma returning at no.4; the duo forged a 87-run stand for the third wicket, of which 58 were scored by Suryakumar. In the first two matches, Tilak had the highest run-scorer in Indian innings but in Guyana, he was happy to play second-fiddle as Suryakumar unleashed havoc on the Windies bowlers.

Also read: 'You didn't have NRR pressure, it would make no difference': Ex-India opener baffled at Hardik's six with Tilak on 49*

Following the victory, Suryakumar and Tilak gathered for a light-hearted chat for BCCI's official social media platforms, where the two discussed the match. Suryakumar asked the youngster on his batting approach – which reflected composure and calm – and insisted that Tilak handled the situation in a mature manner. “Wicket was pretty slow today, so I thought of taking calculated risks. I recieved some loose balls and just waited for the ball to come,” Tilak said about his batting.

During the chat, the Indian youngster also revealed that Suryakumar Yadav wore a wrist band as he walked out to bat, with a message written on it; “Powerplay me thoda time lekar khelna hai (Give yourself time during the Powerplay).” Reacting to the comment, Suryakumar passed a chuckle and stated that he didn't follow his own message at the time.

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“Sometimes, you have to play bluff with yourself. Aaj maine khud ko ullu bana diya (I tricked myself today)! I thought I would take time and peak slowly. But then I realised I would play to the team's requirement, and don't do anything different. I did the same team, I enjoyed myself, and loved batting with the star (Tilak Varma),” said the 32-year-old batter, who is currently world no.1 in T20Is.

India face another must-win situation in the fourth T20I on Saturday, as the teams travel to Florida for the remainder of the series.