T20 World Cup: Ahead of starting the T20I series against Sri Lanka on Saturday, India captain Suryakumar Yadav glowingly spoke about his working relationship with new head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying his bonding with him has always been special.Suryakumar pipped fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the leadership role after Rohit Sharma retired from the format post India’s T20 World Cup triumph in June. Gambhir and Suryakumar go a long way – the duo were captain and vice-captain respectively at the Kolkata Knight Riders from 2014 to 2017.
“Our bond has always been special. From 2014 till now, it has been exactly 10 years. In 2018, I joined another (IPL) franchise and he joined another franchise. But we used to talk regularly about the game. When he used to play with another team, I used to play with him. We used to discuss the game to see if we could do better in that match.”
“The learning has been going on since six years when I was not with him. This bond is always special. We have talked a lot, but not so much. But he knows my body language. When I see his body language, I know what he wants to say to me, and what I want to say to him.”
“When I say no, he understands what he wants and what I want. So, this bond is very special between coach and captain. I am very excited for this journey ahead of me,” said Suryakumar in the pre-series press conference.
Talking about the learnings he received from Rohit in captaincy, Suryakumar spoke affirmatively. “I always think that what I have learned from Rohit Sharma, is he was always like a leader on the ground and off the field.”
“He was not like a captain. There is a lot of difference in both. There was a leader who was standing in the middle of the group, and he showed people the way, how to play this T20 cricket and how to win the tournament.”
Speaking on how India will find replacements for Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja in the format, Suryakumar explained, “It will be difficult to fill the shoes, but obviously people have practiced so much, new players have come, they are already doing well when they play franchise cricket.”
“And the matches they played for India; they have done very well in that too. So, I have a lot of trust in those three, who have just come in their place, that they will do well.”
Suryakumar signed off by saying that he’s changed a lot after his role as Mumbai captain ended in 2015 on a sour note, following complaints of abusive language from team-mates, and that being India’s captain won’t lead to any downturn in his batting returns in T20Is.
“A lot of things have changed since then. I am a different person now. I have got married and I have learned a lot from other captains. I will take the team forward in my own style. Our brand of cricket remains the same.”
“What the captaincy has done is it has given me new responsibility and I am looking forward to the challenge. The same train will continue. Only the engine has changed. The bogies (train carriages) are the same.”
“A lot of things have changed since then. I am a different person now. I have got married and I have learned a lot from other captains. I will take the team forward in my own style. Our brand of cricket remains the same.”
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“It’s better for me, in fact, because I can tell the team openly what brand of cricket, we have to play in T20s going forward. I’ll enjoy it more and can probably pass on the pressure on to others and enjoy my game.”