Suryakumar Yadav looked calm and composed during the Indian team’s training session at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday night. The captain of India’s T20I side was seen encouraging his teammates and keeping the group motivated ahead of Sunday’s T20 World Cup final against the BlackCaps. If Surya guides India to victory in the T20 World Cup final tonight, he will move a step closer to cementing a lasting legacy in Indian cricket.
The 35-year-old inspected the pitch alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir at the start of the practice session. Later, he was seen spending considerable time in discussion with the out-of-form Varun Chakravarthy.
Interestingly, two years ago when the selectors made a bold call in naming Surya as the T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired, quite a few eyebrows were raised. When India prepared for its first major white-ball assignment after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, a series in Sri Lanka, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, appointed Sky ahead of Hardik Pandya.
On Sunday night, the Mumbaikar will be eyeing to replicate what Rohit Sharma achieved in 2024 by lifting the T20 World Cup title. Ever since he took over as the captain of the T20I side, Surya has made a conscious effort to follow Rohit’s template. It made stepping into his predecessor’s shoes easier.
According to Surya, “The shoes are mine, but the footsteps were his only,” he said at the pre-match press conference. “It wasn’t difficult. The way he left things, I got to learn a lot when I was playing under him. I followed the same strategy and tried to implement some new things. Hopefully it goes really well tomorrow as well.”
Rohit’s approach created a selfless brand of cricket, with him leading from the front. His style gave players the freedom to express themselves without the fear of failure or the need to constantly look over their shoulders. It helped build a positive team environment. That happy dressing-room culture has also played a key role in the success of the current side under Surya’s leadership.
“I feel a good and happy team atmosphere is key. If you want to see players happy on the ground, what you do in the dressing room is very important. Giving them the freedom of speech in the dressing room is very important. Being a captain is just a position; you need to ask every player what they want and then we can be on the same page together,” said Surya during the pre-match press conference.
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