‘I think the curator and the grounds maintenance staff…’, Suryakumar Yadav raises doubts over Wankhede’s pitch despite defeat to USA

After a hazy start, captain Suryakumar Yadav gave the team the sunshine it needed most. Perhaps the pitch at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where the Indian team plays the third match of the ongoing 2026 ICC T20 World Cup against the United States Cricket Team, also needs more sunshine for better batting.

After defeating the United States by 29 runs, the Indian captain discussed various aspects of the game as India were surprisingly at a disadvantage in the first innings against the United States. Without Yadav’s unbeaten 84 off 49 matches, the defending champion might not have been able to post 161/9 in 20 overs.

Suryakumar Yadav explains why batsmen perform poorly

But why has the Indian batting line-up, which has so many talented and proven T20 batsmen, suddenly developed a feel for a lower-ranked team? Suryakumar Yadav did not blame anyone but tried to highlight certain aspects of the game, including the pitch, where he himself played a lot of cricket.

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In his post-match speech, the winning captain explained that he has played a lot of cricket at various venues in Mumbai, including the Wankhede Stadium. But against the United States, the deck performed differently; even local batsman Yadav himself took some time to understand the nature of the surface.

“I believe I have batted in similar situations. And when I played a lot of cricket in Mumbai Cricket Maidan, Azad Maidan and Cross Maidan. So I knew that if I batted till the end, I could make a difference (on today’s pitch). It was a little different from the Wankhede situation,” Suryakumar Yadav said.

Questions about Wankhede Stadium pitch

He didn’t blame the groundskeepers or grounds staff, but he felt the nature of the course was a little different because of the weather conditions. A lack of sunlight in the morning can affect your deck.

“We knew it when we woke up in the morning; we saw there wasn’t a lot of sunlight out there. I think the curators and groundskeepers did their best to prepare the best pitch. But I think there were some things that were out of their control. So there wasn’t enough sun to roll and water the pitch,” the skipper added.

Suryakumar Yadav provides updates on Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar

Before concluding the chat, Suryakumar Yadav gave the major update on Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar, who are unavailable for the match. He captained the team and told us that Sundar is in good form and will join the team in Delhi. Due to the weather, Bumla developed a high fever.

“Vashi will join us in Delhi. He is fine. Everything is fine. Bumrah, due to the weather, he has a high fever, as is the case with Abhishek. But rest; everything is fine,” Yadav concluded.

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