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Key Instances In Asia Cup 2025 That Proved Suryakumar Yadav To Be A Top Leader For India

Abhinav Tyagi

Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya For India - (Source : AFP)Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya For India - (Source : AFP)

Suryakumar Yadav has got off to a flying start in his debut tournament as a captain. The 35-year-old, who is leading India in the T20I set-up, has captained the Men in Blue to two wins in two games.

In the first match, India registered a nine-wicket win against the UAE, but the most important win came against Pakistan, where the right-handed batter celebrated his 35th birthday and also led India to a seven-wicket win to help the Men in Blue qualify for the Super Four round.

This tournament has been special for the 35-year-old because he has been dealing with a lot of scrutiny following the handshake saga. Nonetheless, there have been several instances in this cup that have either shaped or proved SKY to be a solid leader.

1. Taking Tough Questions

The definition of a true leader isn't just restricted to the field, but he too must defend and lead the team off the field. There was an instance following the Pakistan match, where a reporter wanted to know SKY about the handshake row and also raised the spirit of the game angle.

Several captains, in such political and debatable matters, have decided to remain silent, but not SKY. Notably, the Indian media manager too tried to deflect the question with 'It has already been asked,' but Surya didn't shy away from replying and gave a solid answer to the reporter. 

2. Shutting Outside Noise

Prior to the tournament, there was a lot of pressure on Suryakumar Yadav because he was not among the runs in international cricket. Further, there was a lot of pressure on India because it agreed to play against Pakistan despite recent tensions. 

Despite the noise and a lot of pressure, Suryakumar Yadav didn't back down and put on a great show with the bat. He scored an unbeaten 47 despite coming to bat in a pressure situation. Also, SKY valued the emotions of the Indian fans and overall, put a great show and composed the team well. 

3. Not Shying Away From Experimenting

Suryakumar Yadav is not shying away from experimenting with his bowlers and not sticking to an old formula set by past captains. Against Pakistan, SKY gave three overs to Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay and also rotated the spinners well, which helped India restrict Pakistan to just 127 runs.

Notably, Bumrah had not bowled three overs in a trot in T20Is since 2019, before the UAE game. Similarly, the decision to go ahead with just premier seamer and also drop Arshdeep Singh was a bold one, but it has paid off for the Men in Blue.