Viv Richards Honors Suryakumar Yadav After India’s Win Over Bangladesh in T20 World Cup

St John’s [Antigua], June 23: West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards awarded Suryakumar Yadav the ‘Fielder of the Match’ medal after India’s 50-run victory over Bangladesh in the ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights match on Saturday.

India’s win, highlighted by Hardik Pandya’s all-round performance and Kuldeep Yadav’s impressive bowling, brought them closer to the semifinals. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of the medal ceremony on their X handle.

Fielding coach T Dilip praised the team’s relentless fielding efforts, noting that they left no room for easy runs. He named Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, and captain Rohit Sharma as top contenders for the medal. Ultimately, Suryakumar was honored by Viv Richards, who expressed his support for the Indian team if his own West Indies team couldn’t win the title.

Suryakumar earned the award for his excellent diving catch to dismiss Litton Das. After receiving the medal, he expressed his gratitude and motivation to continue performing well.

In the match, Bangladesh chose to field first. Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli provided a strong start, but early wickets slowed the team down. Contributions from Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya helped India reach 196/5 in 20 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rashid Hossain were the standout bowlers for Bangladesh.

During Bangladesh’s chase, regular wickets hindered their progress despite efforts from Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tanzid Hasan, and Rashid Hossain. India restricted Bangladesh to 146/8, with Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh leading the bowling attack. Pandya also took a wicket and was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his all-round performance.

With this win, India has two victories in two games and will face Australia next. Bangladesh, with two losses, is out of the semifinal race.