Indian national cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav was in top form at the press conference ahead of the five-match T20I. series opener against England starting on Wednesday, January 22 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Its lines were the major attraction during the press.
Well, Suryakumar Yadav is all set to return to action for the Indian national cricket team for the first time since the home series against Bangladesh in October 2024 with the next white-ball series against England. India and England will lock horns against each other in 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.
Suryakumar Yadav talks about his bond with Hardik Pandya
Ahead of the first T20I at the Eden Gardens, the Indian skipper shed light on his equation with Hardik Pandyawhom he proposed to become the T20I captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the shorter format of the game after winning the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
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Suryakumar insisted that there is a strong camaraderie and mutual understanding between him and Hardik Pandya. The Indian captain also noted that Hardik is an integral part of the team's leadership group, saying their bond has grown stronger over the years of friendship.
Suryakumar Yadav said at Tuesday's (January 21) pre-match press conference in Kolkata: “The relationship with Hardik is really great. It's just the extra responsibility I have. Hardik is part of the management group. We were good friends.”
It hurts me not to have done well in ODIs: Suryakumar Yadav on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 snob
In addition, Suryakumar also expressed his frustration with his poor ODI numbers while addressing his exclusion from India's squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He admitted that his struggles in the format have not helped him and acknowledged the need to raise his ODI game. .
The explosive batter 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, the head coach of the Indian national cricket team Gautam Gambhir is under immense pressure to deliver after the team's recent losses against Australia and New Zealand. However, Suryakumar Yadav insisted that the Men in Blue are heading in the right direction under Gambhir.
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Suryakumar Yadav expresses confidence in Gautam Gambhir's leadership ahead of T20I series
The Indian skipper shared the experience of playing under Gautam Gambhir for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), sharing that he had the opportunity to play under Gambhir for four years.
He pointed out that Gambhir's management style focuses on keeping things simple and giving the players the freedom to express themselves. Suryakumar concluded by saying, “I played under Gauti bhai for four years. We are heading in the right direction. Gauti bhai makes things simple. It gives us a lot of freedom.”
Notably, India have a strong record against England in T20I cricket as they have won 13 of the 24 matches they have played against each other so far. The Indian team has also won the last four T20I series against England, making them favorites to win the next series at home.