There would be pressure; I cannot deny that: SKY ahead of T20 WC final

On the eve of the ICC T20 World Cup title clash against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav struck a relaxed and confident tone, while admitting that there would be added pressure on him as he leads the home side to a title defence.

“The mood in the camp is very relaxed. Leading such a wonderful side on home soil. It’s a special feeling, and everyone is excited for the T20 World Cup final,” he added.

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The 35-year-old, currently the second-highest run-scorer for India in the tournament, acknowledged the pressure that comes with leading the team in a World Cup final but said he intends to embrace the moment.

“As a leader, there would be pressure; I cannot deny that. Definitely, there would be added pressure, the excitement is there of playing a World Cup final that too in India,” said Suryakumar.

India and New Zealand are familiar rivals, having faced each other in a five-match T20I series before the tournament, which India won 4-1. While both teams are well aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, Suryakumar said he has not followed New Zealand’s World Cup matches closely.

“I haven’t watched their T20 World Cup matches on television. We played them recently; the team is similar to the one we faced in the bilateral series. They have been playing some good cricket. We are also playing good cricket so that it will be a good match,” said the right-handed batter.

Responding to New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner’s comments on “breaking a few hearts”, Suryakumar dismissed the chatter, saying it has become a pattern for opposition teams to repeat the same narrative about India.

“Sab he same line chipka rahe hai. Kuch to naya bolo (Everyone is now saying the same thing. Come up with something new),” Suryakumar said. Backing India’s bowling unit, Suryakumar also threw his support behind Varun Chakravarthy despite a difficult outing in the previous game.

“There is nothing to worry about. We won the match. It’s a team sport, and we focus on collective performances. We don’t think about individual performances when we win or lose.

“There are 11 players in the team. Everybody can’t have their best days together. One or two of them will have tough days. We look to cover for them on those days.

“But, we are not worried about him at all. He is the World No. 1 bowler. He knows what to do when, how to bowl against which opposition. He knows how to step forward and win matches for us. I am sure he will do it,” the Mumbai batter said.

Asked about possible changes to the playing XI for the final, the India skipper remained tight-lipped.“Changes, please, you will know tomorrow. You can’t know everything today, right?”

Suryakumar also spoke about drawing inspiration from his predecessor Rohit Sharma and the influence of head coach Gautam Gambhir. “It’s my shoes, but his footsteps. I got to learn a lot from him when playing under him. I also followed the same strategy. The experience of Gauti bhai is also important. I tried to implement similar things, with a few thoughts of mine also.

“It’s been going well. It’s been going really well. I hope it goes on for many more years. We have been preparing for this stage really well. We started two years back. Hopefully, play good cricket. Be courageous in tough situations,” he added.

Responding to a query on whether the final can be started earlier to negate the impact of dew, Suryakumar came up with a humorous reply while stressing that players must adapt to conditions.

“When I get into such a position at the ICC, I will tell you whether the final should start at 3pm. But, you need to get used to it. During bowling, there is no other option. You have played a lot of games under heavy dew while playing the IPL and domestic matches. So, you have to rely on your practice and experience and do it for India,” he commented.