India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has lauded captain Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, asserting that his dynamic and free-spirited style is perfectly suited for the T20 format. Gambhir described his role as one of offering unbiased advice to Suryakumar, emphasizing that the team ultimately rests on the captain’s shoulders.
The partnership between captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gambhir has been a significant factor in India’s success since Gambhir took over following the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Under their guidance, India’s batting aggression has reached new heights, leading to consistent series victories, including their recent triumph in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup held in the UAE. The team is now gearing up for a five-match T20I series in Australia, beginning Wednesday at the Manuka Oval.
“Suryakumar Yadav is a top-class individual, and good people make for good leaders,” Gambhir stated. “He’s very respectful of me, but my responsibility is simply to provide fair counsel based on my interpretation of the game. This is his team, and his spontaneous, expressive style is the very essence of T20 cricket. His personality influences the team’s atmosphere positively, and he’s excelled at maintaining this for the last 1.5 years.”
Gambhir highlighted that Suryakumar’s leadership encourages a fearless, risk-embracing strategy, especially crucial in high-pressure T20 games. “From day one, we established a principle: we will not be afraid to lose. My ambition isn’t just to be a successful coach, but to lead the most fearless team. In high-stakes matches like the Asia Cup final, I made it clear to the players that errors are acceptable – a dropped catch, a mistimed shot, or a wayward ball.”
He further elaborated on the team’s mentality: “Mistakes are human. The only judgment that matters is within the dressing room. Suryakumar and I are completely aligned: we will not let the fear of failure dictate our play. The higher the stakes, the more aggressive and fearless we must be. Playing conservatively hands the advantage to the opposition. With the talent we possess, a fearless approach will yield the best results.”
Gambhir is unconcerned about Suryakumar’s recent batting form, attributing any perceived dip to the team’s commitment to an ultra-aggressive playing style. “Suryakumar’s batting form doesn’t worry me because we’ve committed to this aggressive template. With such a philosophy, failures are an expected outcome. It would be simpler for Suryakumar to play an anchor role and score runs, but we’ve collectively decided that pursuing this approach, even with occasional failures, is the right way forward. Abhishek Sharma is currently in brilliant form, proving the efficacy of our strategy. Suryakumar will find his rhythm and contribute accordingly.”
In conclusion, Gambhir emphasized the team’s focus on playing a particular brand of cricket. “In T20s, our priority is the style of cricket we want to showcase, not just individual statistics. While our aggressive style may lead to more failures, the ultimate impact we create on the game is far more important than just accumulating runs.”