T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav opens up on his ‘special’ relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir

SuryaKumar Yadav. (Source – Twitter/X)

India’s newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about his unique relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking about their shared history and mutual respect. The Men in Blue are preparing for the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced Yadav as the T20I captain for the Sri Lanka tour. This decision, which came as a surprise to many given Hardik Pandya’s presence in the squad, marks a new era in Indian cricket under Gambhir’s coaching tenure. Yadav reflected on his relationship with the former opener.

“Yeh jo relationship hai, bahut special hai. Kyunki main jab 2014 me gaya tha, I played under him for KKR. It was special because wahan se opportunity mila khelne ka, franchise ke liye aur… Jo bolte hena, tum teen kadam chale, aap bhi do kadam aaye, aur bich me kahi toh mile. Toh waisa relationship tha. Aur abhi bhi woh relationship waise ka waise hi hai, strong,” Suryakumar said in a video released by the BCCI.

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Most important thing I have learnt from the sport is how humble you are: Suryakumar Yadav

The prolific batter, known for his innovative strokeplay, highlighted the continuity in their relationship. The 33-year-old emphasized that the head coach knows about his mindset when he comes for practice and what they need to do to benefit from it.

“But he knows ki main kaise kaam karta hoon. What my mindset is when I come to practice sessions? How he tries to work as a coach. And it’s all about that lovely relationship we have and very excited to see how it goes forward,” he added.

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Yadav’s appointment comes after his exceptional form in T20 cricket and previous leadership experience, having captained India in seven matches during Pandya’s absence in 2023. Gambhir, who has been vocal about Yadav’s leadership qualities since their KKR days, seems to have played a crucial role in this decision.

“The most important thing I have learnt from the sport is how humble you are after achieving (success) or even after you aren’t doing well. When you do something on the ground, you have to leave it on the ground,” Yadav concluded.