'Left Is Right' For Suryakumar Yadav: India Captain Dismisses Big Debate Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2026
On the eve of India's World Cup opener - a match cheekily billed as Green Card versus Aadhaar Card - Suryakumar Yadav chose not to overthink cricket's most fashionable debate.
On the eve of India's World Cup opener - a match cheekily billed as Green Card versus Aadhaar Card - Suryakumar Yadav chose not to overthink cricket's most fashionable debate. Left-right combinations. With a possible top eight stacked with as many as six left-handers, the question was inevitable. Does it complicate selection? Does it mess with match-ups? Does it create headaches for team management? Surya smiled first. Then he shrugged it away. "Tell me - are you enjoying watching the sixes and fours?" he asked. "It's a good headache."
For India's T20 captain, the left-right obsession is overrated. At this level, he believes, players have seen everything - left-arm spin, off-spin, pace from every angle, swing both ways. The job remains unchanged.
"On a given day, irrespective of who's bowling to whom, your job is to do what's best for the team,"
It's a refreshingly uncomplicated outlook, and one that fits neatly with the way this Indian side has played its cricket lately - fearless, flexible, and unburdened by templates.
The opening game of the T20 World Cup vs USA itself adds a layer of nostalgia and novelty. Several familiar faces now turn out for the opposition, players Surya has shared dressing rooms and nets with in the past. They've "gone to the land of dollars," as he put it, but Surya prefers to see the bigger picture.
"It's good that people are getting opportunities," he said. "Even if they're playing for other countries."
Still, sentiment ends at the boundary rope. This is Mumbai. This is home. And Surya knows exactly what that means.
"I've played a lot of cricket in Bombay. I know how it works here. We're having fun in our own cricket."
That sense of freedom extends to India's batting order too. Surya dropped a not-so-subtle hint about Ishan Kishan's growing role, praising his recent form across international games and domestic cricket alike. Kishan opened in the warm-up, batted at No. 3 earlier in the series, and Surya made it clear: wherever he plays, it won't be below three.
"He's carried the same intent from the Mushtaq Ali Trophy into international cricket," Surya said. "I hope he keeps batting like this."
Then there's Surya's own role - one he defines carefully.
He doesn't like calling himself captain. He prefers "leader".
And leadership, in his book, is about resisting the weight of expectation.
India begins its T20 World Cup with history dangling in front of them. A chance to defend a title. A chance to win on home soil. A chance to do something no team has managed before.
"You have to stay in the present," he said. "Have your feet where you are."
Even if India go all the way - and they're widely tipped to - Surya insists every match must be treated as its own universe.
And perhaps that's the real takeaway from the left-right debate too.
For Suryakumar Yadav, combinations don't win tournaments. Presence does. Intent does. Trust in your own game does.
Left is right.
And right now, India just want to play their cricket.
India Cricket Team
Axar Patel