’50 percent pressure, 50 percent excitement’: Suryakumar Yadav ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 final
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "’50 percent pressure, 50 percent excitement’: Suryakumar Yadav ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 final")
India's Tilak Varma, captain Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh Photograph: (AFP)
Suryakumar Yadav and Mitchell Santner have both spoken about how momentous the T20 World Cup final is in their own different ways.
Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed about how pressure feels when playing on the biggest stage in international cricket. For Suryakumar, playing a World Cup final at home brings more than just excitement. He said the match creates a mix of emotions, including pressure and nervousness. Even though expectations are high for both the teams, he believes there is a balance between excitement and stress. He said there is about “50 percent pressure and 50 percent excitement” and admitted that the players do feel nervous before such an important game.
The 35-year-old also said that India reached the final because of teamwork. Instead of relying on one or two players to perform brilliantly, the team succeeded because many players made small but important contributions during matches. He explained that the team values these moments and often remembers them in the dressing room, which helps build a strong team spirit.
“There are a lot of moments from game one till we reached the final,” he said. “When we are in the dressing room, we don’t forget those small contributions. That’s what makes this team special and more team-oriented.”
Suryakumar also praised India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and jokingly said that if the ICC ever allowed a player to bowl six or eight overs in a T20 match, Bumrah would be the perfect choice. According to him, Bumrah is a rare talent and a “once-in-a-generation” bowler who is extremely valuable for the country.
Meanwhile, Mitchell Santner highlighted New Zealand’s strong team effort throughout the tournament. He said he is very proud of the players and their determination to reach the final. Since New Zealand has not won many major trophies, making it to the final is a big achievement for the team.
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“Obviously first things, very proud of this group,” Santner stated. “The boys have been playing some good cricket, and to make it this far, I’m really proud.”
Although India is considered the favourite because the final is being played at home, Santner added that New Zealand is comfortable being the underdog. He explained that the team enjoys the challenge and plans to put India under as much pressure as possible during the game to see how things unfold.
“It’s fair to say we are underdogs for the final, but we don’t mind it. Our job is to try and put India under as much pressure as we can and see what happens," Santner added.
