Suryakumar Yadav gives update on Sanju Samson, addresses criticism over Tilak Varma: India is set to clash against South Africa in the Group 2 opener of the Super 8 clash on Sunday, 22nd February, at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Both teams have qualified for the Super 8, being unbeaten in the group stages. Both teams are two finalist of the last edition of the competition, and it will be a heavyweight clash on the weekend.
The Men in Blue are struggling with one player, who is Abhishek Sharma, as the No.1 T20I batter is currently in off-form and has scored three consecutive ducks. His form has been a concern for the side. However, the team management is not so much worried about Abhishek’s form and believes he is just one match away from getting back his best form.
Everything’s going good – Suryakumar Yadav gives update on Sanju Samson
Ahead of the match, during the pre-match press conference, team India captain Suryakumar Yadav shared the preparation team India has been taking and also talked about Tilak Varma’s slow strike rate and performance in the World Cup so far. SKY also provided an update about Sanju Samson, as he was seen having an intense net session on Friday night.
Suryakumar Yadav, in the press conference providing an update on the pitches and whether Samson will play against the Proteas, said, “We are ready to adapt to any wickets. We’ve played on tricky pitches so far, we know what kind of batting we need on them.”
Suryakumar Yadav said with Sanju, “Everything’s going good. The expectations from the team are pretty high but the wickets are a little different. We don’t have to score 250 everytime. We’ll tackle the surface challenge going forward.”
Tilak Varma to be dropped? Suryakumar Yadav reveals
There were rumours of Tilak Varma being dropped from the side for his slow strike rate. SKY dismissed all the rumours and said that the management has instructed him to anchor the innings and play as per the situation.
While speaking on the strike rate of Tilak Varma, he backed his Mumbai Indians teammate, stating, “The team management has told Tilak to play that way. If 2 wickets are down, he has to play out some overs and take backseat. I’m sure he must not be happy with the way he’s batting, he’s been working hard in the practice but I’m not concerned about him.”
Tilak Varma loves playing against the Proteas
Not to forget, Tilak Varma has a superb record against South Africa, having played 10 innings with three not-outs vs Aiden Markram’s side since 2023. He’s made 496 runs and scored at an average of 70.85 with a strike rate of 163.15. The Southpaw has scored two centuries and as many fifties. This match-up can be crucial against the 2024 finalist.
Toss will be a crucial factor in the game, as there is a chance dew might come into play in the second innings. However, teams batting first have won more matches in recent times at this stadium. But in the last match South Africa played here, they chased down a target of 176 in just 17 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
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