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Suryakumar Yadav's Masterstroke to Send In-Form New Zealand Batter Packing During T20 WC Final Gets Acknowledged: 'Axar And Then Bumrah'

Ankit Banerjee | March 9, 2026 3:39 AM CST

India vs New Zealand: Suryakumar Yadav is receiving all the praise for his brilliant captaincy during the ongoing T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. After India put on a surreal 255 for five, New Zealand needed a terrific start to challenge India. And that is when captain Suryakumar Yadav put on his thinking cap and made some brilliant choices that changed the course of the game. After the first two overs by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, he opted for Axar Patel and the left-arm finger-spinner did not disappoint as he picked up the crucial wicket of Finn Allen in his first over.

Once Allen was back in the hut, Suryakumar did not want to let the pressure off and hence just to keep the heat going, he brought in his main bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who picked up a wicket with his first ball. Bumrah got the better of Rachin Ravindra. One has to say that Suryakumar read the game well and hence is receiving all the praise.

SKY Praised For Captaincy

First over Arshdeep.

Second Hardik.

Arshdeep bowled well but Axar got the third and got a wicket.

Then Bumrah and he immediately gets the wicket.

Bumrah against England and here against NZ bowled a slower one first up both time and got the wicket both time because the batsmen…
— W.A.R (@Waqaas1980s) March 8, 2026

Bringing Axar in the powerplay against NZ openers - that’s Captain SKY for you.

He’s not the kind of captain who fed spin to dangerous Klaasen in a T20 World Cup final

SKY masterclass captaincy ?
— Vikhyath D King (@vickyNAGfan) March 8, 2026

Another brilliant captaincy call by Sky.
First, went with Axar over Boom n then, brought in Bumrah for 4th over to increase the pressure.
— Perpetual Procrastinator (@Akshay01shukla) March 8, 2026

At the time of filing the copy, NZ are on the verge of a humiliating loss. The Kiwis are 124 for six in 12.5 overs. Chasing 256 was never going to be an easy task but one certainly expected a fight from New Zealand. India are closing in on the win with every ball in Ahmedabad.