Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj praised captain Suryakumar Yadav after he was named the Impact Player of the Match for his performance in India’s T20 World
Cup 2026 encounter against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai. Siraj credited the Indian skipper for playing an outstanding knock and said the bowlers had enough runs to defend on a challenging surface.
India struggled on a tricky pitch and were reduced to 73/6 at one stage of their innings. Suryakumar then produced a brilliant rescue act, scoring 84 off 49 balls, which included 10 fours and four sixes. His composed yet aggressive innings helped India post a competitive total, and he was later adjudged Player of the Match.
Siraj also played a key role with the ball, returning impressive figures of 3/29 from his four-over spell. His disciplined bowling helped India defend their total comfortably, as the Men in Blue went on to secure a 29-run victory.
"Thank you Daya. Surya bhai, what an innings. Jaisa aapne team ko jahan tak pauchana tha, vahan tak paunchaya hai. As a bowler, jaisa bowling department mein bhi they. Hum log soche ki 170 is a good score. Arshdeep ne jaisa bowling kiya powerplay mein partnership mein. Overall, good performance. Momentum jo abhi bana hai usko waise hee carry karna hai. Good luck to everyone. (Surya bhai, what an innings. The way you got us to the target. We thought 170 was a good score. The way Arshdeep bowled in the powerplay was also excellent. Overall, good performance. Whatever momentum we have, we will look to carry it on. Good luck to everyone),” said Siraj in a video released by the BCCI.
Siraj was drafted into India’s squad as a replacement for Harshit Rana, who was ruled out with a knee injury. Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was also sidelined due to a viral fever, which led to Siraj being included in the playing XI. The Hyderabad-born pacer is expected to retain his place in the Indian team for the upcoming match against Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
