Suryakumar Yadav's exceptional fielding skills were on full display in India’s T20I World Cup final against South Africa where he held on to a juggling catch near boundary ropes to remove dangerous miller, thus putting India back into the game. His remarkable catch near the boundary ropes stood out as it underpinned India's top-notch bowling efforts. Positioned near the boundary, Yadav showcased his agility and presence of mind to make sure that he didn’t touch the boundary rope while completing a successful catch.

Yadav's athleticism earned him a lot of accolades as India dominated South Africa in a tense clash. Speaking on his defining efforts, overwhelmed Yadav was unable to explain the feeling. 

"Rohit bhai usually never stands at long-on but at that moment he was there. So when the ball was coming, for a second I looked at him and he looked at me. I ran and my aim was to catch the ball. Had he [Rohit] been closer, I would have thrown the ball towards him. But he was nowhere close. In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can't explain,” Suryakumar told The Indian Express.

Initial replays concluded that Suryakumar Yadav didn’t make any contact with boundary ropes, but it has remained the talk of the town whether Suryakumar Yadav touched the boundary ropes or not. However, Suryakumar delineated every action performed by him near the boundary ropes. 

"When I pushed the ball [up and inside the playing area] and took the catch, I knew I hadn't touched the rope. The only thing I was cautious about was that when I pushed the ball back inside, my feet don't touch the rope. I knew it was a fair catch. In hindsight, anything could have happened. If the ball had gone for six, the equation would have been five balls, ten runs. We might have still won, but the margin would have been closer," he said.

Suryakumar Yadav underlined the hours of hard work behind these stunning catches and also credited fielding coach T Dilip for instilling confidence in players.

"The catch I took, I have practised it at different grounds, depending on the wind. I was standing a bit wide because Hardik [Pandya] and Rohit bhai had put a field for the wide yorker, and Miller had hit straight. My mind was clear that I have to catch it come what may,” he said.

"A day before the game, we do a quality fielding session where for 10-12 minutes, we have more than ten high catches, flat catches, direct hits, slip catching. It's not a one-day exercise, I practice these kinds of catches during IPL, during bilateral series. Yesterday's catch was the reward of the hard work done over the years,” said Yadav.

How did Suryakumar Yadav feel after taking that scintillating catch? 

"In those four to five seconds, whatever happened, I can't explain. The amount of reaction I have been getting for that, people have been calling, messaging; there are more than 1000 unread WhatsApp messages on my phone. The catch is all over social media. I'm grateful that I was there in those five seconds of play," Yadav recounted.