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Suryakumar Yadav has supported Gautam Gambhir amid criticism of India’s Test results under him.
Gautam Gambhir. (BCCI Photo)
Captain Suryakumar Yadav believes India’s T20I team is ‘moving in the right direction’ under head coach Gautam Gambhir’s tutelage. Suryakumar described Gambhir as a mind-reader who gives freedom to his player, keeps things simple and maintains a ‘light’ and ‘good’ atmosphere in the dressing room.
Suryakumar and Gambhir will linkup for the first time in months as India take on England in a five-T20I series at home. Gambhir, who was appointed as the all-format coach last year, has been under pressure after India’s lean run in Test cricket, with successive series defeats to New Zealand and Australia.
“I’ve played under Gambhir for four years, so I know how he works,” Suryakumar said in a press conference on the eve of the first T20I. “Even without speaking to him, we know what we need to do. He wasn’t there on the tour of South Africa since he was preparing with the Test team, but we are moving in the right direction with him. He gives freedom, he allows players to express. He keeps things simple, he knows what is going inside a player’s head. He keeps things light and maintains a good atmosphere.”
The Mumbaikar believes that the fact that the next T20I World Cup is still a few months away helps India’s case as he and Gambhir can now build the team and ‘enjoy the journey’.
“For me, it is important that the T20 World Cup is one year away but I don’t want to think about that,” he said. “We want to enjoy the journey to that event instead. We want to make a team, understand which batters work well in which position, and which bowlers can win you games single-handedly. It’s important for a group to play lots of games in the lead-up. That’s what Gauti bhai and I will think about. We want to play with this group until the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.”
After the T20Is, India will play five ODIs against England in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy which begins on February.
No question mark on the wicketkeepers: Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar also threw his weight behind Sanju Samson, the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper, who, like the skipper, has been excluded from the ODI squad. He said that with Samson scoring two centuries against South Africa, and Dhruv Jurel as the backup, the position is settled.
“Currently, there’s no question mark on the wicketkeepers,” he said. “Sanju has done really well in the last 7-10 games and has shown what he’s capable of. It’s what we want from all our players, not just the wicketkeepers but from everyone – to keep the team first. He’s got that opportunity, he’s made full use of it. And I’m happy for him.”
It suggests that the likes of Rishabh Pant and Jitesh Sharma will have to wait to get their chance in the format.
