Virat Kohli says that Surya came in and completely changed the momentum of the game on a pitch

Suryakumar Yadav played an outstanding knock of 26-ball 68 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup here on Wednesday while Suryakumar and Virat Kohli were the stars of the match as the pair set up 98 runs in a solid third-wicket stand. 

India captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for fearless Suryakumar Yadav after his stunning knock. Suryakumar Yadav played an outstanding knock of 26-ball 68 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup here on Wednesday. 

He hit six sixes and as many fours in his sizzling knock to lift India to 192 for two, enough to get a 40-run win and a spot in the super 4 stages of the tournament. Suryakumar and Virat Kohli were the stars of the match as the pair set up 98 runs in a solid third-wicket stand. 

“It is my honor to interview SKY today who had played an outstanding knock today. A knock that I thoroughly enjoyed from the other end. He came in and completely changed the momentum of the game on a pitch that wasn’t as easy as he made it look, to be honest,”

Kohli said in a video posted on the official website of BCCI.

“Well done, it was a brilliant knock, I have seen so many from a distance when we play against each other in the IPL, or that being done to other teams when we play for India,”

he continued.

“But this was my first experience of watching it so closely. I was completely blown away,”

the former skipper exclaimed.

“I just want to understand when you walked out there, what was your mindset? You spoke to me that you already had planned something looking how the game was going so please explain that,”

he asked Suryakumar.

Answering Kohli’s question, Suryakumar said:

“Firstly, I like batting with him (Kohli). When we were sitting inside, Rishabh and I were speaking about how we take the game ahead as the wicket was a little slow. When I went to bat, I just tried to be myself and do what I love doing. In the first ten balls, I wanted to hit 3-4 boundaries that time and when I got that, I just kept batting. At that moment, I knew I needed you there and that’s when I told you that keep batting at the other end, it will be easy for you to cover up at the end.”

“Because I have seen you a lot of times when you bat 30-35 balls, your next 10 balls, you bat with a strike rate of 200-250. It was important for me that you stay at the crease. I enjoyed it,”

he said.

“I was trying my best to hit 6 sixes in the last over but let’s not get past Yuvi paa,”

he joked.

“The partnership was amazing, it was brilliant for us as a team. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed,”

Kohli told Suryakumar.

“I look forward to seeing you play these types of knocks regularly because I honestly believe with the way you played today and stay in that zone, you can literally change the complexion of the whole game against any team in the world,”

he added.

“Well my plan was very simple, I have come off a decent break, 6 weeks is a long time, especially at the international level. I came mentally fresh, I really enjoyed my batting in the last game as well, against a quality attack,”

Kohli said about his performances in the Asia Cup so far.

“I kind of got the pace of the wicket, I knew my job was to stabilize the innings and build a partnership with whoever I am batting with. In between, when the situation allows, take a risk and hit a boundary every now and then,”

he said while speaking about his approach against Hong Kong.