India’s defeat to South Africa was not the result of poor bowling from Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, or Varun Chakaravarthy, nor was it solely due to an overall underwhelming effort from the batting unit. Captain Suryakumar Yadav made it clear that the bowlers were not to blame for the loss. In his view, the real problem lay in India’s batting performance during the powerplay. He pointed out that having reduced South Africa to 20 for 3, conceding 187 was not the main concern. Instead, India’s inability to capitalize with the bat early in the chase proved costly. 

Here is what Indian skipper said in the post-match interview:

"I felt we were in the contest for most of the game. With the ball, we started brilliantly to have them 20 for 3. From over 7 to 15, they batted exceptionally well and built momentum, but we pulled things back again later. Overall, the bowling effort was strong, but we could have been sharper with the bat,"

For the Indian skipper, losing wickets in the powerplay destabilised everything. From there, India was playing catch-up. They couldn’t score quickly or build a partnership for the remainder of the game. Which resulted in a heavy defeat, 76 runs. 

"When you’re chasing 180 or 185, you don’t win the match in the powerplay — but you can certainly lose it there. We lost too many wickets early, and that hurt us. What we needed were small, steady partnerships to take the game deep, and we didn’t manage that. It’s part of the learning curve; we’ll reflect and come back stronger," he added.

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Suryakumar praised Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who combined to take 5 wickets in 8 overs for just 43 runs. The remaining bowlers went for 144 runs in 12 overs. Despite such a deflating defeat, Surya’s not dejected. He believes India will come back strong against Zimbabwe in Chennai on February 26.

"Their combination has been lethal. They’ve played a lot together and understand each other’s roles. Today again, they bowled 8 overs between them, picked up key wickets, and kept the runs in check. That’s exactly what you expect from experienced bowlers—controlling the game in tandem and delivering when it matters."

"We now head to Chennai, where conditions will be different. The approach remains simple bat well, bowl well, and field well. We’ll stick to our brand of cricket, keep things uncomplicated, and look to bounce back strongly in the next game,” Suryakumar concluded.

In the end, India’s defeat boiled down to missed opportunities right at the beginning of their innings. Those early wickets during the powerplay really put the team on the back foot, making the chase a lot tougher than it needed to be. While the bowlers had their shining moments, particularly Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, the batting lineup just couldn’t bounce back after that rocky start.

Suryakumar Yadav is still optimistic that the team will take this setback as a learning experience. With another crucial match on the horizon, India is eager to address their mistakes, refine their strategy in the powerplay, and come back even stronger in the tournament.