India head coach Gautam Gambhir has credited T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s calm and composed leadership for making his role easier in the shortest format, saying the Mumbai batter has “ticked every box” as a leader.
Speaking in a short video shared by Star Sports during the ongoing T20 World Cup, Gambhir said India were fortunate to have Suryakumar at the helm.
“Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format. He is a phenomenal leader of men—not because of what he does on the field, not because of how he bats or the strokes he plays,” Gambhir said.
“All of that can be kept aside. What stands out is the way he relates to players, the way he communicates with them, the time he spends with them and how relaxed he is on the field. As a coach, that allows you to focus on many other things because you know he will keep the atmosphere calm—something every coach dreams of,” he added.
Gambhir’s praise came after India’s opening T20 World Cup win over the USA on Saturday, where Suryakumar played a decisive role. The captain struck a fluent 84 off 49 balls to steady India after an early top-order collapse against a spirited American side.
“For me, Surya the player can be kept aside, but Surya the leader has ticked every box. He is a phenomenal leader and that has made my life a lot easier,” Gambhir said.
“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.”
The 35-year-old Suryakumar was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad two years ago and was appointed captain of the national side in the format shortly after that triumph, following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from international T20 cricket.
After their opening victory, India will face Namibia in their next match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.