In a tournament already filled with drama, R. The T20 World Cup 2026 clash at the Premadasa Stadium delivered a moment of pure theater that will be repeated for years. The much-awaited clash between India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and Pakistan’s ‘stop-start’ spinner, Usman Tariq, lived up to its “out-of-syllabus” billing, ending in a dismissal that changed the momentum in the match, as well as created a stir on social media. This particular wicket was produced in the nets, where Suryakumar was seen emulating Tariq’s awkward, wobbly delivery to help prepare his teammates.
He joked in the press conference that Tariq was an “off course” question that the team would have to find a way to answer. However, under the floodlights of Colombo, it was the bowler who maintained his composure against the world’s most inventive T20 batsman.
In an attempt to accelerate the scoring in the 19th over, Suryakumar attempted to slog Tariq past his stumps to the mid-wicket boundary. This was a trademark move of the Indian captain, designed to use the bowler’s pace against him. Yet, the connection went wrong, and the ball flew high, but not very far. The huge square boundaries at the RPS, which had already proved difficult for many batsmen throughout the evening, ensured that the ball remained within the field of play.
Surya Kumar practiced a lot to face Usman Tariq but he practiced with the wrong person #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/YnSMX7T5sc
– Jamie (@i_am_jamalnasar) 15 February 2026
Standing beneath the ball was Pakistan’s Sam Ayub who showed great composure to take the catch despite initially missing. The Indian captain’s dismissal for 32 was the breakthrough that Pakistan desperately needed.
What happened next was perhaps the most historic moment of the match. Usman Tariq stunned the man who had spent the week spoiling his action, giving Suryakumar a fiery, emotional farewell. In a way, it seemed as if Tariq had also given ‘respect’ to cricketer Suryakumar.
The celebration was a clear statement of intent from the spinner, who has been making headlines since coming back to the table.
Topics mentioned in this article