There is no dearth of excitement when Suryakumar Yadav is at the crease. He can play authentic cricketing shots and look beautiful to watch. He also plays instinctively and creates shots that makes everyone sit and watch in awe and make his captain Rohit Sharma describe his batting as “those (shots) are not written anywhere in the book”.

Yadav is that kind of a batsman who can win you matches single-handedly. It requires something extraordinary from the opposition to outclass Yadav’s attacking knock. On Wednesday against Hong Kong, Yadav scored a 26-ball 68 not out with six fours and an equal number of sixes to steer India to 192 for two and eventually a 40-run victory.

Walking in to join Virat Kohli after the fall of KL Rahul at the end of the 13th over, Yadav had a big task to do. Courtesy KL Rahul’s slow batting, India were only 94 for two in 13 overs, going at 7.23. Yadav straightaway got into the act of scoring, executing two sweep shots for fours off left-arm spinner Yasim Murtaza and finishing with four sixes in the 20th over off right-arm medium-pacer Haroon Arshad.

It is total mayhem when Yadav is in the middle. Some of the shots may look like he was lucky to get away with them but those are the shots that are well planned and executed out in the middle.

Yadav collects man of the match awards regularly that in the 25 T20Is that he has played since his debut last year against England at home, he has taken home five of those awards. He won his first man of the match award after scoring 57 against England in his first T20I innings in Ahmedabad in early 2021.

The 31-year-old right-handed batsman from Mumbai makes it a point to go out there and enjoy. He goes out with a clear plan and executes it to near perfection. Sometimes, the plan does not work. But he enjoys the cushion of going out there and playing freely. If he succeeds like he did on Wednesday, India tend to gain a lot.

If he does not succeed and falls cheaply, it is still no problem for India as they have enough batsmen to follow and bail the team out, like it happened against Pakistan on Sunday last when Yadav, after promising to play a big role, fell for 18. It was left to Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to steer India to victory.

Yadav, man of the match for his breezy knock on Wednesday, said: “I try to bat like I usually do, obviously keeping the match situation in mind. It is between the seventh and the 15th overs that teams control games. I try to take risks and at the same time try not to get out. I go out and express myself. If I connect, fine. If not, will do well in the next game.”

The team’s backing of its players also allows the players to go about their business without the fear of being dropped. Yadav said: “I feel batting first is a challenge. We are working on setting targets while batting first. Today also, we did the same. What total to post, what tempo to set in the middle, how to finish the innings, which batsman will go after the bowling, etc. If not me, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik or Ravindra Jadeja are there to take the team to safety. There is enough firepower in the team. Things will happen,” said Yadav, who has a career strike rate of 172.07.

Having been a regular in the Indian team in white-ball cricket for the last year and a half, Yadav said that he was happy to bat wherever his team wanted him to. “The experience of being with the Indian team has been really good. Before that, I have played a lot of T20 franchise and domestic cricket. It is all about how I adapt to the pressure situation.

“It is all about what you think and what energy you bring to the team. I have been batting the same way for the last 3-4 years. We have a good backing by the team management. When you go out and express yourself, and from a close-to-impossible situation, you bail the team out, it is a completely different atmosphere when you go back to the dressing room. It is good and a positive thing. I had great fun batting out there today. My plan was clear.”

Yadav has, for now, cemented his place in the Indian line-up for the T20 World Cup in Australia to start in about seven-and-a-half weeks’ time. His role is crucial as he is not only good at No. 4 but also does well when moved up and down the order. All he is pleading with the Indian team management is to play him. “I am flexible to bat at any number. Just play me,” he says with a smile.

Indeed, India need to play him regularly if they are to win matches often, especially from precarious positions.

(With inputs from agencies)