Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir during nets. [Source: @BCCI/X]
Having played 66 international matches (60 under him) alongside ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma, India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav seems to have taken inspiration from him with regard to making journalists laugh during press conferences. Having also played in excess of 100 T20s with Sharma, Yadav has not only taken batting notes but also sarcasm notes from his senior.
Addressing the media on the eve of the first India-England T20I at the Eden Gardens tonight, Yadav was asked about India’s masterplan going into ICC T20 World Cup 2026. What resulted in was a prototypical sarcastic response which ended up becoming a source of jocularity.
“Saare secret bata doon kya idhar hi? [Shall I reveal all the secrets here only]. I want to enjoy the journey. We have to prepare the team, decide the position and play most games as a group. This is what me and Gauti bhai focus on,” Yadav told reporters on Tuesday.
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With India and Sri Lanka to co-host the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup next year, expect Yadav to get asked this question more often than not.
With India the defending champions in the shortest format, all eyes would be on them as they strive to become the first team to defend this coveted silverware. Assuming they do so, they will also become the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.
Yadav, who was handed India’s reigns in this format post a title-winning ICC T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, hasn’t put a foot wrong as a leader since then on the back of series victories against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh (at home) and South Africa.
Slated to face a full-strength English side five times in the nearest future, Yadav’s young Indian unit wouldn’t get a better opportunity than this in terms of preparation.