3 months ago
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Never has a squad entered a men’s T20 World Cup — a format arsenic fickle arsenic the upwind — arsenic wide favourites arsenic India successful 2026. Captain Suryakumar Yadav attributed it to a cardinal displacement successful approach, describing it arsenic the emergence of the “Indian mentality”.
“This is the Indian mentality. We person been playing immoderate bully marque of cricket for the past two-three years, but we person changed our thinking,” Suryakumar said during the pre-tournament captains’ media enactment present connected Thursday.
“Earlier, we utilized to play bilateral (series) otherwise than the ICC tournaments, but now, beryllium it an ICC lawsuit oregon (the) Asia Cup oregon adjacent a bilateral (match), we effort to play successful the aforesaid manner.
“This is why, erstwhile we went to play the 2024 T20 World Cup, it did not consciousness immoderate different. It felt similar we person been playing this mode for an full year.
“Even now, the benignant of cricket we person been playing for the past year, we volition effort to play the aforesaid mode (in the T20 World Cup). And if we play well, the effect volition besides beryllium connected our side.”
India's skipper Suryakumar Yadav, beforehand left, and others during the 5th and last T201 cricket lucifer betwixt India and New Zealand, astatine the Greenfield International Stadium, successful Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI
Despite the humanities trends — nary squad having won a T20 World Cup connected location ungraded and nary having successfully defended the rubric — India get with unprecedented momentum.
Their struggles successful Test cricket aside, the concern betwixt caput manager Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar, which has spanned astir of the 17-month cycle, has turned India into a ascendant unit successful the shortest format. Since July 2024, India has mislaid conscionable six of its 41 T20 Internationals.
Suryakumar did not hesitate successful crediting Gambhir for driving the taste displacement wrong the side.
“It has been a fantastic travel since helium (Gambhir) has taken over. The main happening is the ambiance that helium has created successful the dressing country — that it’s a squad game.
Ishan Kishan celebrates with Hardik Pandya aft scoring a period during the 5th T20 International betwixt India and New Zealand astatine the Greenfield International stadium successful Thiruvananthapuram connected Saturday. | Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
“He has infused that idiosyncratic milestones should beryllium kept speech and the squad goals are much important. It’s been 1 twelvemonth since helium has been moving connected it,” helium said.
“For example, successful the past lucifer successful Thiruvananthapuram, Ishan Kishan was successful his 90s and helium completed his 100 with a six. That is 1 happening helium (Gambhir) is trying successful the dressing room, keeping the idiosyncratic milestones distant and focusing connected what’s the team’s extremity and past the enactment towards it.”
