Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Gautam Gambhir's Shivam Dube Gamble In Asia Cup Final

India head coach Gautam Gambhir isn't someone who is popular for his calm demeanor. Gambhir often comes across as a person who likes to speak his mind, even if it shows him in a negative light. The Asia Cup 2025 tournament, however, saw Gambhir show incredible restraint, even as a number of Pakistani cricketers showed disrespect towards India and its players during the three face-offs between the two sides. Gambhir even remained away from the press conference duties, sending assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate and bowling coach Morne Morkel on different occasions.

In an exclusive chat with NDTV's Boria Majumdar, Suryakumar Yadav was asked about the role Gambhir played in bringing calm to this team, as every single match against Pakistan triggered a storm on the field.

"Gauti bhai, his relationship with me is that of a younger and elder brother. We have known each other very well since the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) days. I might have played the most under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, but I've learned some tricks from Gauti bhai too. He knows what goes into a player's mind on the ground, what sort of preparations are needed. Whenever I am on the ground, I look at him, and he always has something for me. As soon as he signals anything from outside, I do it without thinking," Suryakumar Yadav said in the interview.

Surya revealed how Gambhir brought calm to the team after it was confirmed that all-rounder Hardik Pandya would not be able to feature in the match due to an injury. Gambhir asked Suryakumar to put his faith in Shivam Dube as a powerplay bowler. Without thinking twice, Surya gave the new ball to Dube, and the all-rounder didn't disappoint.

"This game too, we missed Hardik. He tried his best, but we wanted an additional batter. Some day, it can be 10 for 2 or 30 for 3 (or: 10/2 or 30/3). Gambhir said Shivam Dube will take that responsibility; I am damn sure. That is why we gave the new ball to Dube. That's what he did on the field. After the game, he admitted that he was under a lot of pressure," he revealed.

"I think it's one of the toughest tournaments I have played in for a very long time," the India captain admitted.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir Suryakumar Yadav Asia Cup 2025 Cricket