Suryakumar Yadav gives update on Sanju Samson, addresses Tilak Verma’s criticism: India are set to take on South Africa in the Group 2 opener of the Super 8 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 22. Both the teams have qualified for the Super 8 by remaining unbeaten in the group stage. Both teams are two finalists from the previous edition of the competition, and it will be a tough encounter over the weekend.
The Men in Blue are struggling with one player, which is Abhishek Sharma, as the No. 1 T20I batsman is currently in off-form and has been out for three consecutive ducks. His form has been a matter of concern for the team. However, the team management is not too worried about Abhishek’s form and believes that he is just one match away from getting back to his best form.
Everything is going well – Suryakumar Yadav gives update on Sanju Samson
Before the match, during the pre-match press conference, Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav shared the preparations being made by Team India and also talked about Tilak Verma’s slow strike rate and his performance so far in the World Cup. SKY also provided an update on Sanju Samson as he was seen in an intense net session on Friday night.
Giving an update on the pitches and whether Samson will play against the Proteas, Suryakumar Yadav at the press conference said, “We are ready to adapt to any wicket. We have played on difficult pitches so far, we know what kind of batting we need on them.”
Suryakumar Yadav told Sanju, “Everything is going well. Expectations from the team are very high but the wickets are a little different. We do not have to score 250 every time. We will deal with the superficial challenges in the future.”
Will Tilak Verma be removed? Suryakumar Yadav disclosed
There were rumors of Tilak Verma being dropped from the team due to his slow strike rate. Sky dismissed all the rumors and said that the management has instructed them to carry on with the innings and play as per the situation.
Speaking on Tilak Verma’s strike rate, he supported his Mumbai Indians teammate by saying, “The team management has asked Tilak to play this way. If 2 wickets fall, he will have to play a few overs and take a backseat. I am sure he will not be happy with the way he is batting, he has been working hard in practice but I am not worried about him.”
Tilak Verma loves playing against Proteas
Remember, Tilak Verma has a great record against South Africa, having played 10 innings with three not-outs against Aiden Markram’s team since 2023. He has scored 496 runs 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 could be important against the 2024 finalists.
The toss will be an important factor in the game, as there is a possibility that there may be dew in the second innings. However, teams batting first have won more matches in this stadium in recent times. But in the last match played here, South Africa achieved the target of 176 runs with 7 wickets in 17 overs.
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