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5th T20I: I Knew I Wasnt Out Of Form, Just Out Of Runs, Says Suryakumar After Series Win

T20 World Cup: India captain Suryakumar Yadav said he was relieved to rediscover his form ahead of the Mens T20 World Cup after being named Player of the Series in Indias 4-1 victory over New Zealand. After a horrid 2025, where he failed to hit a fifty, Suryakumar struck three fifties, including a fine 63 in a 46-run win over New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday. It feels really good. Its been a long year and a long wait for moments like this. Ive always dreamed about when this time would come. You actually said it before the last series in Ahmedabad - when SKY is there, dont fear. I just kept doing the same things Id been doing over the last year, stuck to my routines. I knew I wasnt out of form, just out of runs. Its been a very good series, and going into the World Cup feeling like this is really special, said Suryakumar in the post-match presentation ceremony. Reflecting on his struggles, he added, I think the sky wasnt blue for a year, (smiles). But thats life. Its part of the journey. I took it in my stride, went back to the drawing board, tried to understand what was going wrong. After the last series, I got two or three weeks where I spent time with close friends - they told me a few important things I needed to follow. Thats a sportspersons life. Ive seen so many careers - not just in cricket - where people go through these phases. I knew my time would come if I kept doing the small things right. Im really happy with how things have turned out, he said. Looking ahead to preparations for the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar said, Definitely, whether you win or lose, you always take something from the game. When we go back to Mumbai and play a warm-up game against South Africa, well sit down and analyse the last five games and the year as a whole - what weve done well and what we can improve. Then we start our campaign. He also praised New Zealands fight in the final game, where they fell 46 runs short of chasing Indias 271/5. This format is really hard on bowlers - I completely understand that. When you score big runs, you have to expect the opposition to come hard at you. As a captain and as a bowling unit, youre always under pressure. The key is having good plans. Its all part of the learning process. Well sit down, talk it through, and move forward. New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said his side had taken positives despite losing the series. I think when you look at the series as a whole, weve taken a lot of positives. India are a very good team - I said that right at the start - and in their own conditions theyre extremely tough to beat. Maybe we push the ropes back a little for the bowlers (laughs), but overall, its entertaining cricket at the end of the day, he said. As a captain and as a bowling unit, youre always under pressure. The key is having good plans. Its all part of the learning process. Well sit down, talk it through, and move forward. Also Read: Live Cricket Score On the lessons for the bowling unit, Santner said, Its not easy. As a bowling unit, weve got to find ways against very good batters - guys who deal in boundaries and sixes. Maybe its about turning those big overs into 15 or 16, especially on flat pitches, knowing that even 230 can be chaseable. Article Source: IANS