Suryakumar Yadav Archives

Suryakumar eyes Olympic Gold after T20 World Cup victory

Captain Suryakumar Yadav said gold in 2028 on cricket’s return to the Olympics was India’s next big aim after extending their T20 domination with back-to-back World Cup titles.

Co-hosts India hammered New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday to be the first team to retain the T20 world crown and first to win it three times.

It was also the first time a team have won the title on home soil, and they did it with a brand of fearless, attacking cricket.

“It has been very special,” Suryakumar told reporters at a celebratory midnight press conference, as fans across the country flooded into the streets.

“And definitely the next goal is Olympics, Olympic gold and also the T20 World Cup that year.”

Los Angeles 2028 will see cricket return to the Olympics for the first time since 1900.

Led by then captain Rohit Sharma, India won the T20 World Cup two years ago in Barbados for their first major title since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Rohit and fellow stalwart Virat Kohli retired from the shortest format after the final against South Africa and Suryakumar took over as captain.

“I think that drought ended in 2024 after a really long time and from there we never looked back,” said the 35-year-old.

“We played a different brand of cricket in 2024, and from there we understood how this team needs to work (going) forward.

“And it’s been a wonderful journey since then.”

Suryakumar added: “We wanted to do something special in front of the home crowd. We want to continue doing that… and never stop.”

India won the 50-over World Cup in 2011 at home under M.S. Dhoni, who led the team to a T20 World Cup in the inaugural edition in 2007.

After that was a comparative drought in the biggest events by India’s sky-high standards.

Two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir, who succeeded Rahul Dravid as coach after the 2024 World Cup win, wants to carve out his own legacy.

“I don’t believe in inheriting anything, I believe in creating something,” said Gambhir, who has not always been universally popular with fans and pundits as the coach.

“And hopefully we’ve created something which probably all of you guys could be proud of, that the kind of brand of cricket we’ve played.”

Suryakumar backs misfiring Abhishek despite three ducks

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday backed struggling opener Abhishek Sharma to play his attacking game with enough firepower in the rest of the line-up as they face South Africa in the T20 World Cup.

The two teams will clash in the Super Eights stage in Ahmedabad on Sunday in a rematch of the T20 World Cup final two years ago, won by India.

Both teams topped their group with perfect records.

But while Aiden Markram’s South Africa have looked strong in all departments, tournament favourites India have not enjoyed batting consistency, with Abhishek recording three consecutive ducks.

“People who are worried about Abhishek’s form, I worry for them,” a smiling Suryakumar told reporters.

“I think about those teams against whom he is going to fire as he has not been able to score till now. When he gets the runs then you know how it is.”

Suryakumar said, “It is a team sport, it happens. Team requires him to play with his identity, so if he fires it’s okay otherwise we are there to cover for him. Last year he covered for us, now we will do it for him.”

The left-handed Abhishek, the world’s number one-ranked T20 batsman, has handed the team many explosive starts since his debut in July 2024.

Big totals were predicted at the start of the 20-team tournament with India pipped to cross 300 on home ground, but the reality has been different.

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Ireland’s 235 against Oman in the group stage has been the highest total so far, with India reaching their best of 209 in a big win over minnows Namibia.

“We are trying to explode from the start because everyone knows their T20 template, but we don’t want to become a team that’s always blasting away,” said Suryakumar.

“There could arise a situation where two-three wickets fall early and we have to be a smart team to bat well between 12-15 overs and we have enough firepower that if the base is strong then we can smash 60-70 runs in last five overs.”

India boasts of a potent spin attack led by the world’s number one-ranked T20 bowler Varun Chakravarthy, who has claimed nine wickets in four matches.

South African spinners, including Keshav Maharaj, have also made their presence felt, and Suryakumar said there will be no favourites in the Sunday game.

“The (Indian) spinners have done well against almost all oppositions, (but) I can’t say we will have an edge,” said Suryakumar.

“It’s a new game and we start from zero. But definitely some good plans. On the given day, plans and execution should be coming together, if that comes together we will definitely have an edge.”

India are on a 12-match unbeaten run at the T20 World Cup, stretching back to their defeat in the semi-final against eventual winners England in 2022.

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Suryakumar says India ready for ‘out-of-syllabus’ Usman Tariq

COLOMBO: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has expressed readiness to face mystery off-spinner Usman Tariq ahead of the high-stakes India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Ahead of the clash, Suryakumar answered a question regarding mystery bowler Usman Tariq, who has made headlines due to his unorthodox action.

“Even in the exam, if a question comes out of the syllabus, we have to do it,” he replied to the reporter.

“You can’t leave it. He’s a different character, but we can’t surrender to him. We have practiced and are all very excited,” he added while stating that they have no jetlag while travelling from India to Sri Lanka.

Tariq, inspired by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, has caught eyebrows with his unique action.

The tall off-spinner has made batters clueless with his unique bowling style.

Tariq has been in impressive form in the ongoing tournament, claiming five wickets in two matches so far.

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Overall, he has picked up 11 wickets in four T20Is, maintaining an outstanding average of 7.90 and an economy of 5.93.

During Australia’s recent T20I series tour of Pakistan, Australian batter Cameron Green was seen making a gesture that many interpreted as questioning Tariq’s action.

This was not the first time Tariq’s bowling has been scrutinised. Tariq was previously reported during PSL 9 and PSL 10, but his action was officially cleared on both occasions.

Addressing the scrutiny last year, Tariq explained that the natural bend in his elbows often creates confusion.

“There are two corners on my elbow that make it hard for me to straighten,” he said in an interview last year.

“I gave two tests at labs in Pakistan, and my action was cleared within a week. I didn’t get told to change anything. I was confident because I knew I was not throwing.”

READ: Suryakumar deflects handshake question before Pakistan clash

Surya, Kishan help India chase down 209 against New Zealand

Blistering knocks by skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan led India to a crushing seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Friday, giving them a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.

Chasing 209 for victory, India rode on a 122-run third-wicket stand between Kishan (76) and Suryakumar, who made an unbeaten 82, to achieve the target with 28 balls to spare in the second match in Raipur.

India head into the third match on Sunday in Guwahati with an eye on the series, which is a warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

The left-handed Kishan, who returned to the Indian team in the opener after two years, lifted the hosts from 6-2 with a string of boundaries.

He reached his fifty in 21 balls with a four and kept up the charge until his departure off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Kishan struck 11 fours and four sixes in his 32-ball knock.

Suryakumar reached his first fifty in the format for 468 days — and 23 innings — after which he raised his bat and looked up to the skies amid the applause.

His previous half-century was against Bangladesh on October 12, 2024.

Suryakumar, who hit nine fours and four sixes in his 37-ball blitz, and the left-handed Shivam Dube, who struck 36, put an unbeaten partnership of 81 to pulverise the opposition.

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Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took a wicket each in the first two overs before Zak Foulkes conceded 24 runs off the third over, which started with a no ball for four and three wides.

Earlier, New Zealand posted 208-6 with skipper Mitchell Santner hitting an unbeaten 47 off 27 balls in a late blitz by the number seven batter.

New Zealand started strongly with opener Devon Conway and Tim Seifert taking on the opposition attack with a string of boundaries in a quickfire 43-run stand.

Medium-pace bowler Harshit Rana dismissed the left-handed Conway for the fourth time in successive white-ball matches to start with a maiden wicket. Conway made 19 off nine balls.

Wicketkeeper-batter Seifert, who made 24, followed his opening partner back to the pavilion without troubling the score as he fell to Varun Chakravarthy’s spin.

Glenn Phillips kept up the attack in his brief stay of 19 runs and, after his departure, the left-handed Rachin Ravindra took the lead in his 44 off 26 balls.

India struck regular blows including two to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav but New Zealand batters kept up the pace and Foulkes finished with a six and four, but the effort was not enough to challenge India.

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Struggling Suryakumar Yadav will not adapt style to find form before T20 World Cup

India captain Suryakumar Yadav said on Tuesday he would not change his style of batting as he bids to stop an alarming slump in form heading into the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

His team will face New Zealand in the first game of a five-match warm-up series on Wednesday in Nagpur, ahead of the World Cup starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

But Suryakumar, formerly the ICC’s top-ranked T20I batter, has scored just 244 runs across his last 22 innings in the format dating back to October 2024, without a single fifty.

“I have been batting really well (in the nets),” Suryakumar, who is set to play his 100th T20 international in the series opener, told reporters.

“And also talking about the runs, it will definitely come, but at the same time, I can’t do things differently. I don’t want to change my identity.

“What has given me success in the past three, four years, I would like to bat the same way. And then if (the) performance comes I will take it, if it doesn’t I will go back to the drawing board, practise again, work hard and come back stronger.”

Suryakumar, 35, boasts a punishing T20I strike-rate of 163.23, although that does drop slightly as skipper.

He took over the T20 captaincy full-time when Rohit Sharma stepped down following India’s World Cup triumph in 2024.

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Suryakumar Yadav has flourished as a leader despite his personal struggles with the bat, leading India to six consecutive bilateral series wins and victory in last year’s T20 Asia Cup.

India are favourites to defend their World Cup title, sitting top of the ICC rankings and unbeaten in T20 series since a 3-2 loss to the West Indies in August 2023.

“If I have to take everyone’s responsibility, then I will have to think well about the team,” said Suryakumar.

“In that, I think there is no room for personal milestone. It’s a team sport. Everyone has to step up; everyone has to do well.”

Batter Tilak Varma and spinner Washington Sundar are both racing against time to be fit for the World Cup despite being named in the squad.

Ishan Kishan will return to the team against New Zealand for the first time since 2023 after being recalled to the squad, with Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill a surprise omission.

India were beaten at home in an ODI series by New Zealand for the first time ever earlier this month.

An under-strength Black Caps backed up their remarkable maiden Test series win in India, when they powered to a 3-0 clean sweep in 2024.

READ: Litton Das ‘unsure’ over Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation

Suryakumar Yadav provides update on Shreyas Iyer’s injury

Suryakumar Yadav, captain of India’s T20I team, announced on Tuesday that middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is stable and has been in communication with the team from the hospital after suffering a lacerated spleen.

Iyer, 30, sustained the injury as he pulled off a sensational catch to remove Alex Carey, a key moment in the third one-day international against Australia that India won by nine wickets in Sydney.

The Indian ODI vice-captain was forced off the field and hospitalised.

“I have been talking to him over the last two days, he has been replying,” Suryakumar told journalists ahead of the team’s first T20 international in Canberra on Wednesday.

“It’s looking good,” Suryakumar said. “They will keep him under observation for a few days.”

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He added that doctors and physiotherapists described the injury as “rare”.

“But rare things happen to rare talent. God is with him, and he will recover soon, and we will take him along with us.”

Iyer is being closely monitored by the medical team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

He is not part of India’s T20 squad, which will play five matches in Australia that will serve as a tune-up for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February-March.

He has scored 2,917 runs from 73 ODIs at an average of 47.81 since his ODI debut in 2017.

READ: Kamran Akmal predicts Pakistan’s playing XI for first T20I

Suryakumar found guilty of breaching ICC code of conduct in Pakistan clash

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct over his political comments during the India-Pakistan clash on September 14 in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

According to Cricinfo, the exact sanction that has been applied is not confirmed, but it is likely to be demerit points or a fine.After the sanction, India has appealed against the verdict.

Meanwhile, the report said that the verdict on Pakistan players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan is awaited.

A day earlier, the Indian skipper was summoned by match referee Richie Richardson and ICC officials for a meeting at a local hotel in Dubai regarding this matter.

During the meeting, Yadav was advised to refrain from making political comments in the future. However, the report indicated that it is unclear whether Suryakumar faced any other sanctions.

The controversy arose after the BCCI emailed its complaint to the ICC earlier this week, pointing to Farhan’s celebration and Rauf’s actions as “provocative.”

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Yesterday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also lodged an official complaint against Yadav’s comments following India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage match on September 14.

The PCB’s complaint said that Yadav had politicized cricket and breached the ICC’s code of conduct on neutrality.

The matter stems from Yadav dedicating the win to “the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack,” which took place earlier this year in April, triggering renewed cross-border tensions.

“Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery,” Yadav said during the post-match presentation.

“Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile.”

READ: Haris Rauf, Sahibzada Farhan defend actions in ICC hearing over BCCI complaint

Suryakumar Yadav under ICC scrutiny following PCB’s complaint

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has begun reviewing a formal complaint filed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) against India captain Suryakumar Yadav.

The PCB lodged an official complaint against Yadav’s comments following India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 group stage match on September 14.

The PCB’s complaint accuses Yadav of politicizing cricket and breaching the ICC’s code of conduct on neutrality.

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“Want to dedicate the win to all our armed forces who showed a lot of bravery,” Yadav said during the post-match presentation.

“Hope they continue to inspire us all, and we give them more reasons on the ground whenever we get an opportunity to make them smile.”

The ICC confirmed it has received the complaint and is examining the matter. A formal hearing could be convened, with Yadav given the option of accepting the charge or contesting it before match referee Richie Richardson, alongside representatives of both the BCCI and PCB.

The match itself had already made headlines for the now-infamous handshake controversy, as the two captains did not shake hands at the toss, and players refrained from greeting each other at the end of the game.

Catch Asia Cup 2025 news updates here!

Addressing the issue later, Suryakumar Yadav revealed that the decision not to engage in handshakes was taken on the advice of the BCCI and the Indian government.

“Some things are above sportsman spirit. Our government, BCCI, and we were aligned today… We came here to just play the game,” the Indian captain remarked at the post-match press conference.

The PCB has argued that Yadav’s comments crossed the line by using the cricketing stage for political messaging.

READ: BCCI lodges complaint against Haris Rauf, Sahibzada Farhan

Suryakumar reveals reason behind Dube’s promotion during Bangladesh clash

DUBAI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav opened up on the tactical decision to promote all-rounder Shivam Dube to the No. 2 position during their clash against Bangladesh in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours.

India thumped Bangladesh by 41 runs to seal a place in the final, courtesy of Abhishek Sharma’s sublime knock and Kuldeep Yadav’s guile with the ball.

Abhishek’s golden run in the tournament continued as he slammed 75 off just 37, plundering five sixes and fours, which set the tone for India to post a strong total.

With the ball in hand, Kuldeep Yadav continued to impress and took a three-wicket haul, which rattled Bangladesh’s batting lineup.

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Meanwhile, after a solid opening partnership of 77 runs in 6.2 overs, Shivam Dube was sent up the order in a bid to accelerate the scoring.

During the post-match presentation, Suryakumar shed light on the move and emphasized the match-up plan.

“They [Bangladesh] had a left-arm spinner and a leg-spinner, and Dube was the perfect match-up. His entry point (between overs 7-15) was also perfect. It did not go well, but going ahead, we will definitely try doing that,” he revealed.

He also talked about conditions and the total that India set on the board while highlighting the middle overs bowling key to their success in defending any total.

“If the outfield would have been really fast, it would have been 180-185. If we can bowl 12-14 good overs, we can defend any total,” Suryakumar continued.

“We did not get to bat first in the tournament, and that too in a crucial match. It was important to bat in the Super Four and how we do. The wicket was a little slower in the second innings (in the game on September 14 as well), and that is what happened tonight as well, with no dew, ” he concluded.

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India-Pakistan isn’t a rivalry anymore: Suryakumar Yadav

DUBAI: Suryakumar Yadav has brushed aside the talk of rivalry between India and Pakistan after his side’s comprehensive six-wicket win in the Super Fours of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.

India dominated Pakistan and secured their second win over the arch-rivals in the space of a week.

Abhishek Sharma’s ruthless knock was the highlight of the match which steered India to a commanding victory despite their sloppiness in the field during Pakistan’s innings.

After dropping the catches in the field, Abhishek went to score a sublime 74 from 39 balls, laced with five effortless sixes and half a dozen fours.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan was the lone bright star, scoring 58 off 45 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav addressed a question regarding the India-Pakistan rivalry in the post-match press conference.

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“Standards and rivalry are the same. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1….I don’t know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore,” he told reporters.

He called the middle overs after the drinks break as the turning point of the match during Pakistan’s innings.

“According to me, the turning point was in the first drinks in the first innings. People changed their body language after that. You always see the game changes generally after the powerplay.

“But today, the game changed after ten overs, when the bowlers changed their line and lengths, understood what was needed in that situation, and showed a little more energy,” he continued.

The skipper praised Indian spinners and highlighted Shivam Dube’s spell, which turned the game on its head.

“The spinners bowled well. And according to me, Shivam Dube’s spell, you can say that it was a turning point,” he concluded.

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