Suryakumar Yadav made one of the most crucial catches in Indian cricket history, securing a victory for the Men in Blue in their second T20 World Cup last week. The match was at a critical juncture, with South Africa needing 16 runs from the final over.
Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, handed the ball to his vice-captain Hardik Pandya for the decisive six balls. On his first delivery, Hardik bowled a low full toss, which David Miller hit straight down the ground. As millions of Indian fans held their breath, Suryakumar Yadav remained composed. Demonstrating the excellent presence of mind, he took a brilliant catch, juggling the ball and managing to stay inside the boundary by a mere millimetre.
Social media buzzed with videos showing the boundary rope cushion being slightly moved back. According to ICC’s playing conditions, the cushion, not the white line, defines the boundary. Specifically, section 19.3 states that if a solid object marking the boundary is disturbed, the boundary is considered to be in its original position.
Section 19.3.2 further clarifies that the object should be returned to its original position as soon as practicable, especially when the ball is dead. Despite conspiracy theories about the catch, South African legend Shaun Pollock praised Suryakumar’s exceptional effort, quelling any doubts.
Shaun Pollock said: “The catch was fine. The cushion had moved, but that’s in the course of the game. It had nothing to do with Surya. He didn’t stand on the cushion. Brilliant bit of skill.”
For his outstanding catch that dismissed Miller and turned the game in India’s favour, Suryakumar received the ‘Best Fielder’ medal from BCCI secretary Jay Shah. This accolade, introduced by Team India fielding coach T Dilip, serves as extra motivation for the players, to celebrate exceptional fielding efforts.
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