India’s new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has lauded captain Suryakumar Yadav, stating that his free-spirited nature is perfectly aligned with the ethos of T20 cricket. Gambhir emphasized his coaching philosophy centers on advising the captain fairly, based on his game-reading, while acknowledging that the team ultimately belongs to Suryakumar.
Since Gambhir took the helm after India’s 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup victory, the Suryakumar-Gambhir partnership has been highly successful. Under their guidance, India has elevated its batting tempo, consistently winning series and recently clinching the Men’s T20 Asia Cup in the UAE. Their next challenge involves a five-match T20I series in Australia, commencing Wednesday at the Manuka Oval.
“Surya is a great human being, and good humans make good leaders,” Gambhir remarked. “While he speaks highly of me, my role is simply to advise him fairly based on my reading of the game. Ultimately, this is his team. His free-spirited character perfectly matches T20 cricket’s essence; it’s about freedom and expression. Your off-field personality reflects on the field and in the dressing room, and Surya has maintained this atmosphere brilliantly over the past 1.5 years.”
Gambhir highlighted that India’s T20I strategy under Suryakumar is rooted in embracing risk, particularly in high-stakes matches. “From our first conversation, we agreed: we will not fear losing. I don’t aim to be the most successful coach; I want us to be the most fearless team. In big games like the Asia Cup final, I told the players it’s okay to drop a catch, play a bad shot, or bowl a poor delivery.”
He further elaborated on the team’s mindset, “Human beings make mistakes. Only the opinions of those in the dressing room matter. Surya and I consistently agree: we will never fear mistakes. The bigger the game, the more fearless and aggressive we must be. A conservative approach only gives the opposition an advantage. With the talent we have, if we play fearlessly, we will be fine.”
Despite Suryakumar’s recent inconsistent batting form in the Asia Cup, Gambhir expressed no concern. “Honestly, Surya’s batting form doesn’t concern me because we have committed to an ultra-aggressive template in our dressing room. When you embrace this philosophy, failures are inevitable. It would be easy for Surya to score 40 runs off 30 balls and avoid criticism, but we have collectively decided that it’s acceptable to fail while pursuing this approach. Currently, Abhishek Sharma is in good form and has maintained it throughout the Asia Cup. When Surya finds his rhythm, he will shoulder the responsibility accordingly.”
Concluding his thoughts, Gambhir reiterated the team’s focus on playing a specific brand of cricket. “In T20 cricket, our focus isn’t on individual runs but on the brand of cricket we want to play. With our aggressive style, batters may fail more often, but impact ultimately matters more than mere runs.”