Advertisement
Advertisement
COLOMBO: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has expressed readiness to face mystery off-spinner Usman Tariq ahead of the high-stakes India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Ahead of the clash, Suryakumar answered a question regarding mystery bowler Usman Tariq, who has made headlines due to his unorthodox action.
“Even in the exam, if a question comes out of the syllabus, we have to do it,” he replied to the reporter.
“You can’t leave it. He’s a different character, but we can’t surrender to him. We have practiced and are all very excited,” he added while stating that they have no jetlag while travelling from India to Sri Lanka.
Tariq, inspired by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, has caught eyebrows with his unique action.
The tall off-spinner has made batters clueless with his unique bowling style.
Tariq has been in impressive form in the ongoing tournament, claiming five wickets in two matches so far.
Overall, he has picked up 11 wickets in four T20Is, maintaining an outstanding average of 7.90 and an economy of 5.93.
During Australia’s recent T20I series tour of Pakistan, Australian batter Cameron Green was seen making a gesture that many interpreted as questioning Tariq’s action.
This was not the first time Tariq’s bowling has been scrutinised. Tariq was previously reported during PSL 9 and PSL 10, but his action was officially cleared on both occasions.
Addressing the scrutiny last year, Tariq explained that the natural bend in his elbows often creates confusion.
“There are two corners on my elbow that make it hard for me to straighten,” he said in an interview last year.
“I gave two tests at labs in Pakistan, and my action was cleared within a week. I didn’t get told to change anything. I was confident because I knew I was not throwing.”
READ: Suryakumar deflects handshake question before Pakistan clash
