Despite requiring only 9 runs from two overs with six wickets remaining at home, the game saw a sudden twist when Captain Suryakumar Yadav introduced Rinku Singh who had never bowled in his 23-match T20I career
India completed a 3-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka, in an astonishing climax to the third and final T20I of this series at Pallekele..
It was a surprising and dangerous move for Rinku Singh to come into the bowling attack on a pitch that favored spinners. However, it proved to be a very smart call which worked out. First ball that he bowled to Kusal Perera was a dot ball as the latter attempted reverse slog but missed it completely. The tension could be felt all over with ‘oohh’ from Gautam Gambhir being caught by cameras during telecast showing how much was at stake.
Perera mistimed Rinku’s second delivery and ended up top edging it towards mid-wicket off short-of-a-length ball. He shifted towards off side and completed the catch-and-bowl dismissal taking his first Twenty20 International wicket.
A rare smile came across Gambhir’s face at this crucial moment
Rinku’s over didn’t stop there. His last delivery dismissed Ramesh Mendis resulting in him ending up with excellent figures of 2/3. Two-wickets-for-three-runs changed everything as Sri Lanka now required six off the last over
Suryakumar took charge of bowling India’s very last over. With nerves of granite, he kept down the hosts to force another Super Over match. It was then that India won in the Super Over securing an exciting victory that would forever be etched in fans’ minds as having had unexpected heroics from Rinku Singh and bold captaincy by Suryakumar Yadav.
