Gautam Gambhir Sums Up Why Suryakumar Yadav Is India's Ideal Captain In T20Is
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has lauded captain Suryakumar Yadav for his "calm leadership," crediting it as a major factor behind India's recent T20I success.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has lauded captain Suryakumar Yadav for his "calm leadership," crediting it as a major factor behind India's recent T20I success. In India's opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA, the team suffered an early collapse, but Suryakumar steadied the innings with a captain's knock of 84 off 49 balls, guiding India to a competitive 161/9. Despite a spirited chase, the USA fell short, managing 132/8 as India secured a 29-run win.
In a short video shared by Star Sports, Gambhir said India is fortunate to have Suryakumar leading the side in this World Cup.
"Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format. He is a phenomenal leader of men, not by what he does on the field, not by how he is as a batsman or how his strokes are in this format," Gambhir said.
Clear communication. Calm leadership.
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 9, 2026
Gautam Gambhir applauds SKY's captaincy and how he connects with players to make a coach's job easier.
ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 2026 #INDvNAM | THU, FEB 12 | 6 PM pic.twitter.com/uXTaCokP04
"All that you can keep aside but the way he relates to the players, the way he talks to players, the way he spends time with players, how much he is relaxed on the field. Sometimes as coach, you can think about a lot of other things because you know he is going to keep the atmosphere pretty much calm that any coach can dream of," he added.
Suryakumar's 49‑ball 84 proved crucial in India's opening victory, rescuing the side after early wickets fell against a determined USA outfit. India next faces Namibia on Thursday.
"For me, I think Surya the player I can keep him aside but Surya the leader, for me I think he has ticked every box. He is just a phenomenal leader which has made my life a lot easier.
"And probably, it's a great thing when you have someone like him leading the country because his heart is in the right place and he takes the right decision especially when things are under pressure," Gambhir said in his lavish praise.
The 35-year-old Suryakumar, part of India's T20 World Cup-winning squad two years ago, took over the T20I captaincy shortly after that triumph, following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format.
(With PTI Inputs)
India Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir