Ganesh Kendale
SKY’s new-look Team India will look to seal series vs Bangladesh today
NEW DELHI: It’s a rarity for an India captain to turn up for an optional training sessions on the eve of an international game.
Suryakumar Yadav did so on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of the second T20I against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. His happy-go-lucky reputation precedes him but it is now evident Surya is emerging as a capable leader since being appointed T20I captain in July.
Surya himself went through an intense batting session for over half an hour. He then sat with Abhishek Sharma and Jitesh Sharma next to the nets and had a lengthy chat about international cricket and the importance of not being predictable. Sources said the gist of the talk was that to survive at this level, one has to keep evolving and trying new things to stay ahead of the opposition.
It appears Suryakumar is now warming up to the direction the T20I team must take. The presence of many fresh faces means there’s a definite path laid out. This team has been specifically picked keeping the T20 World Cup in 2026 in mind. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar too were involved in lengthy chats with the likes of Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana and Sanju Samson.
The preparation for India’s title defence has already begun. Speed sensation Mayank Yadav, for example, has been told to focus more on T20s than the longer formats. Selectors have identified him as a potential trump card for the next T20 World Cup. This series, followed by the four T20Is in South Africa next month, will be a sort of audition.
The plan is to create format-specific player pools, say those in the know. For the shortest format, it’s about investing in players who are doing well in the IPL. The endeavour is to rid the players of confusion. There will be more players who are not seen as all-format prospects.
Surya is now a statesman in T20 cricket and he has been given the clear mandate of building this team for the next T20 World Cup. This Bangladesh team may well be lacking in T20 abilities, but the Indian team management is looking for markers to judge its own players.
Going by the emphatic win in the first T20I, there are going to be more players pushing the seniors in times to come.
