Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli (Source: @CricNiks/X.com)
Back in 2020, Indian cricketers Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli were involved in a heated staredown, as neither of them shied away. It all happened after SKY wasn't selected for India's tour of Australia, while former skipper Kohli sledged the batter in the IPL.
When Suryakumar Yadav Showed Virat Kohli His Aura
In the year 2020, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the Mumbai Indians (MI) were up against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 48th match of the cash-rich extravaganza.
RCB batted first and posted 164 runs on the board after the end of 20 overs, where opener Devdutt Padikkal smashed 74. In reply, MI lost Quinton de Kock and Ishan Kishan inside eight overs with 52 runs on the board.
However, what happened was one of the finest knocks in the IPL, where one-down batter Suryakumar Yadav scored a high-class 79* off 43 deliveries with 10 boundaries and three maximums.
Nonetheless, during the game, when Sky was batting, his opponent, skipper Virat Kohli, came up to him and looked into his eyes as the former didn't back down, and gave a stare back, with both of them looking at each other without uttering a single word. Later, after staring for five seconds, Sky moved on, and Kohli took the ball and went his way.
Considering this, the incident didn't flare up, as it turned out to be one of the most iconic moments in IPL history, where after this, Sky smashed RCB left, right, and centre, and won the game for his side by five wickets and five deliveries to spare, with his high-class knock.
Suryakumar Yadav Was "Dead Scared" During The Incident
The fact that Virat Kohli was the captain of the Indian side back then in all three formats didn't help Surya's cause, who was left out of the India squad slated to tour Australia.
After Surya wasn't picked in the side, social media blew up as people blamed Kohli for sledging the youngster, whereas SKY, who was furious for not being selected, made his presence felt.
Years later, when Yadav was interviewed about the same, the now Indian T20I skipper revealed that he was "dead scared" inside as he was quite intimidated by Kohli's aggressive intent and energy.
"I was dead scared inside as he walked towards me, both of us were eating chewing gums. There was a voice from inside that was telling me - come what may, you don't have to utter a word, it's a matter of 10 seconds, the next over will begin," said Suryakumar Yadav, in an episode on Breakfast With Champions, with host Gaurav Kapur.
The fact that both of them are now extremely good teammates, as they conquered the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title in the USA and the West Indies, helped India's cause in a massive way, overcoming a personal confrontation after years.
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