Tribune News ServiceNew Delhi, February 9Suryakumar Yadav has built an enviable record as captain of the Indian T20I team. Since taking over from Rohit Sharma after the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he played a key role in the team’s title run, Suryakumar has led India to seven bilateral series victories in a row apart from taking them to the Asia Cup title.Such has been their dominance that India lost just five times during this period, despite playing against top teams such as Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand. India also won all their matches at the Asia Cup, including three favourable results against Pakistan despite the off-field distractions.Even when he went through a lean patch as a batter, it never affected his leadership as the team kept winning. With the World Cup approaching, the lack of runs would have weighed heavily on him. Not to mention the weight of expectations he already has to carry on his shoulders as the captain of the Indian team that is out to achieve the unthinkable. Suryakumar’s India are not just trying to become the first side ever to defend their T20 World Cup title but also the first nation to win at home.“Chasing a historic back-to-back World Cup win on home soil, no team has done it before, feels like a rewarding responsibility and positive pressure. With massive crowd support across venues, I’m excited, and the team shares that enthusiasm,” Suryakumar said.Despite this extra pressure, Suryakumar never let his confidence waver. He finally found his batting touch in India’s final series before the World Cup, and he carried that form into the team’s opening match. His 49-ball 84 not out rescued India from a precarious situation against USA and ensured that the hosts started their campaign with a win.No wonder he has earned praise from all quarters. While praising Suryakumar’s leadership, head coach Gautam Gambhir said the Mumbai player has made his job easier.“Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format. He is a phenomenal leader of men, not by what he does on the field, not by how he is as a batsman or how his strokes are in this format,” Gambhir said.“All that you can keep aside but the way he relates to the players, the way he talks to players, the way he spends time with players, how much he is relaxed on the field. …you know he is going to keep the atmosphere pretty calm,” he added.“For me, Surya the leader has ticked every box. It’s a great thing when you have someone like him leading the country because his heart is in the right place and he takes the right decision especially when under pressure,” he added.Against USA, the 35-year-old Suryakumar used his experience to get India out of trouble. “Only I can tell how much pressure I was feeling but I had the belief. I knew if I bat till the end, I can make a difference,” he said after the match.The innings even earned him praise from USA spinner Harmeet Singh. “Success came late for him… I think he has got the poise now which MS Dhoni also had later in his career,” Harmeet said. “The flair that he had as a stroke-player, he played a sensible innings and he finished the game and played a proper knock. The maturity which (players like) Virat (Kohli) have… that is what happens with experience and (with) the kind of job he (Suryakumar) has been given. He is doing a great job,” he added.After Suryakumar’s Player of the Match performance, former India captain Sourav Ganguly described him as a proven match-winner. “He came into this tournament with a lot of runs against New Zealand… I think he is a champion T20 player,” he said.India will next play Namibia here on Thursday.
