Cuttack, Dec 9 (NationPress) India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed his satisfaction with the team’s impressive performance against South Africa in the first T20I held at the Barabati Stadium on Tuesday, asserting that the team is enjoying a "great run" in the format as they prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026.

Choosing to bat first, India scored 175/6, thanks to an unbeaten 59 from Hardik Pandya. The bowlers then took charge, restricting the opposition to just 74, marking it as their lowest-ever T20I score.

During the presentation ceremony post-match, Suryakumar lauded the batting effort, particularly noting that the team had not anticipated reaching a total of 175 after being at 48-3 in just 6.3 overs.

“At 48 for 3, we thought we might struggle to even reach 160, but to get to 175 was extraordinary. The contributions from Hardik, Axar, Tilak, and Jitesh were crucial. Some days not everyone will perform, but today they covered for each other. Our goal is to play fearlessly and enjoy the game. India is having a great run,” he stated after the match.

Suryakumar was also impressed with the bowling duo of Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, who initiated the attack in the second innings, as well as Pandya, who took a wicket on his very first delivery. Both Arshdeep and Bumrah concluded the match with two wickets each, while Pandya secured one after his pivotal innings of 59*.

“Arshdeep and Bumrah were exceptional at the start. Their new ball bowling was outstanding. With Hardik returning from injury, we needed to manage him well. The way he bowled, I am very pleased. After starting at 48 for 3, scoring about 90–91 runs from overs 7 to 15, and finishing with 40–44 runs in the last five overs to reach 175 was commendable. Our bowling options were plentiful, and 175 was a solid total,” he added.