In a remarkable display of leadership, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was observed assisting his teammates in preparation for the upcoming match against spinner Usman Tariq, scheduled for Sunday at the ICC T20 World Cup in Colombo. A video shared by the ICC showcased Suryakumar bowling to Rinku Singh, mimicking Usman's bowling style, albeit without the sidearm technique. Although he couldn't perfectly imitate the bowler's action, his determination to address the challenge posed by Tariq's mystery spin was evident.

Understanding Usman Tariq

Usman Tariq, aged 28, has made a significant impact in his four T20I appearances, claiming 11 wickets at an impressive average of 7.90, including a standout performance of 3/27 against the USA in the T20 WC 2026.

"He is a trump card for us," said Tariq's captain, Salman Ali Agha, emphasizing the importance of the entire team rather than focusing solely on Tariq.

Indian Strategy Against Spin

Suryakumar acknowledged the unique challenge posed by Usman, referring to him as an "out of syllabus bowler." However, he assured that the Indian team would not back down. "Sometimes, there are questions in exams that are unexpected. We cannot ignore them; we must find a way to tackle them," he stated.

He further added, "Usman is a different bowler, but we will not surrender. We practice against bowlers with similar styles and will aim to implement our training during the match."

Facing Pakistan's Spin Attack

India will face a formidable spin challenge from Pakistan, featuring bowlers like Abrar, Usman, Salman, Nawaz, and Saim. Historically, India has struggled against spin in this tournament, having lost three wickets and scored only 42 runs against the USA in eight overs of spin bowling, and 61 runs while losing five wickets to spinners against Namibia.

Squads

India Squad: Ishan Kishan(w), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar

Pakistan Squad: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan(w), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay.