Indian national cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav was in full form at the press conference ahead of the opening match of the five-match T20I series against England, starting on Wednesday, January 22, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. His one-liners were the main attraction during the press conference.
Well, Suryakumar Yadav will return to action for the Indian national cricket team with the upcoming white-ball series against England for the first time since the home series against Bangladesh in October 2024. India and England will face each other in 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.
Suryakumar Yadav talks about his association with Hardik Pandya
Ahead of the first T20I at the Eden Gardens, the Indian skipper shed light on his equation with Hardik Pandya, whom he named T20I captain after Rohit Sharma withdrew from the shorter format of the game after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024.
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Suryakumar has insisted that there is a strong camaraderie and mutual understanding between him and Hardik Pandya. The Indian team captain also pointed out that Hardik was an integral part of the team’s leadership group and said their bond was strengthened through years of friendship.
Suryakumar Yadav said at the pre-match press conference in Kolkata on Tuesday (January 21): “The relationship with Hardik is really great. It’s just the extra responsibility I have. Hardik belongs to the top group. We were good friends.”
It hurts that I didn’t do well in ODIs: Suryakumar Yadav on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 snub
Furthermore, Suryakumar also expressed his frustration over his poor ODI numbers while addressing his exclusion from India’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He admitted that his struggles with the format have not helped him and admitted that he needs to improve his ODI game.
The explosive batsman added: “It hurts that I didn’t do well in the ODIs. That’s why I’m not in the Champions Trophy squad. If I had done well, I would have been there.”
Meanwhile, Indian national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir is under immense pressure to deliver results following the team’s recent defeats against Australia and New Zealand. Suryakumar Yadav, however, insisted that the men in blue under Gambhir are on the right track.
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Suryakumar Yadav expresses confidence in Gautam Gambhir’s leadership ahead of T20I series
Sharing his experience of playing under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian captain shared that he had the opportunity to play under Gambhir for four years .
He stressed that Gambhir’s leadership style focuses on keeping things simple and giving players the freedom to express themselves. Suryakumar concluded by saying, “I played under Gauti Bhai for four years. We are moving in the right direction. Gauti Bhai keeps things simple. Gives us a lot of freedom.”
Notably, India have a strong record in T20I cricket against England as they have won 13 of the 24 matches against each other so far. The Indian team has also won the last four T20I series against England, making them favorites to win the upcoming home series.
