T20 World Cup: Gautam Gambhir Names One India Player Who Has "Made His Life A Lot Easier"
India registered a winning start to their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a 29-run victory over the USA in Mumbai
India registered a winning start to their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a 29-run victory over the USA in Mumbai, riding on Captain Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 84. Speaking on JioStar's 'Follow the Blues', India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Suryakumar as a leader and emphasised how the team atmosphere has been critical to India's performance in the T20 format.
Gambhir, speaking on JioStar's 'Follow the Blues', heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav for leading the T20I side from the front both on and off the field:
"Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format, and I think he's a phenomenal leader of men-not because of the kind of batter he is or the shots he plays. All of that you can keep aside, but because of what he does on the cricket field. The way he relates to players, the way he talks to them, the time he spends with them, and how relaxed he is on the field. As a coach, that allows you to think about other things because you know he's going to keep the atmosphere calm, which is what any coach can dream of.
For me, Surya the player can be kept aside, but Surya the leader has ticked every box. He's a phenomenal leader. It's a great thing to have someone like him leading the country, because his heart is in the right place and he takes the right decisions, especially under pressure."
On the importance of having a light team atmosphere off the field, Gambhir added:
"For me, they are a great bunch of young boys. They want to have fun, they want to play for each other. The atmosphere in the dressing room is relaxed, and that's extremely important, because once you walk onto the field, it's serious business.
The dressing room, however, can never be serious all the time. Yes, you want to stay switched on, but you also need to be relaxed. You can't be completely on edge in the dressing room. I think this environment has been really good.
There's always room for improvement, but these boys love playing for each other and sharing the dressing room together. That's one of the reasons we've got results. Results aren't only about the brand of cricket you play; there are many other factors involved. And in this format, we've had success because the boys genuinely enjoy being with each other."
India Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir