Suryakumar Yadav’s catch reminded everyone of Kapil Dev’s backward-running catch against West Indies in the 1983 World Cup final. Published: July 1, 2024 9:11 PM IST By Suryakumar Yadav chose to describe his match-defining catch against South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final as ‘God’s Plan’ as it is being lauded by everyone as a perfect blend of athleticism, balance and game awareness. India defeated the Proteas by seven runs to pocket their second T20 World Cup title, and a first after 17 years.
The moment of magic took place on the first ball of the final over when South Africa needed 16 runs off the last six balls. David Miller smashed a wide full toss from Hardik Pandya over long-off. At a time it looked that the ball would sail over the ropes but Suryakumar made the ground, steadied himself on the ropes, caught the ball, released it just as he went over the boundary ropes and then came back in to complete an astonishing catch.
“I am just grateful to be in that moment to do something special for the country...
god’s plan it was,” Suryakumar told PTI from Barbados said when asked about the catch that has become a standout moment from the game. Although Pandya got hit for a boundary in the same over, but he kept his cool to take his team over the line before emotions took the centre stage on the field. The catch not only won India the game, but also brought back memories from the 1983 World Cup when Kapil Dev ran sideways from mid-on to grab a top edge .