Few cricketing moments live forever in fans’ hearts, and Suryakumar Yadav’s breathtaking boundary catch in the T20 World Cup 2024 final is one of them. With South Africa chasing India’s total and David Miller going big, SKY pulled off a gravity-defying effort on the ropes to turn the game—and the tournament—in India’s favour.
But now, over a year later, former India batter Ambati Rayudu has dropped a bombshell: that iconic catch may not have been possible without a small but decisive twist of fate.
Rayudu’s Big Revelation: “The Rope Was Pushed Back”
Speaking on a podcast recently, Rayudu revealed an intriguing detail about that final in Barbados.
According to him, during a commercial break, the broadcasters had moved the boundary rope slightly backward to adjust screens and chairs. After removing the equipment, the rope wasn’t placed back in its original position.
This tiny adjustment, Rayudu claimed, gave Suryakumar just enough extra room to complete the catch without stepping over the line.
“They pushed the rope backwards a little bit… after taking the screen and chairs away, the rope wasn’t moved to its actual place. That is how the boundary became bigger for us. The broadcaster indirectly helped Surya. Otherwise, it was a clear six,” Rayudu explained.
He even suggested it was nothing short of divine intervention:
“It was God’s plan. That rope being a few inches back changed the destiny of the match.”
Naturally, Suryakumar Yadav was asked about this revelation. The India star didn’t deny Rayudu’s version but handled it with typical humility.
“I don’t know if it would’ve been a six or not in normal conditions,” SKY said. “Maybe I would’ve run in differently. But what matters is—it was a clean catch. And yes, maybe destiny played its part.”
His response won hearts once again. Instead of debating technicalities, SKY credited the moment to both preparation and fate.
The context of the catch makes Rayudu’s revelation even more fascinating.
- South Africa needed a huge hit from Miller to stay alive.
- SKY judged the ball perfectly, caught it while tiptoeing near the rope, and flicked it back to himself before falling inside the boundary.
- That dismissal broke South Africa’s momentum, and India went on to lift the T20 World Cup trophy after 17 years.
For fans, it instantly joined the list of India’s greatest World Cup moments, alongside Kapil Dev’s 1983 catch and MS Dhoni’s 2011 six.
Cricket is often called a game of inches, and Rayudu’s story proves just that. A few inches of rope movement could have turned a match-winning catch into a six—possibly changing the result of the final itself.
But perhaps that’s what makes sport so magical. Behind every iconic highlight lies a mix of skill, circumstance, and destiny. SKY had the presence of mind and athletic brilliance, but fate too, it seems, had a role to play.
Ambati Rayudu’s revelation has added a new layer to an already unforgettable moment.
Whether it was broadcaster error, divine luck, or pure SKY brilliance, the catch will always be remembered as the defining moment of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
