‘Made my life a lot easier’: Gautam Gambhir on Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy

India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Suryakumar Yadav for the way he connects with his teammates, saying the captain has made things much easier for him in T20 cricket. Speaking during India’s T20 World Cup campaign, Gambhir spoke about the strong influence Suryakumar has had on the team through his leadership.

"Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format," Gambhir, who has had the most success in T20I cricket as coach, told Star Sports.

Gambhir further said that Suryakumar’s batting skills and wide range of shots are already well known, but what truly stands out is his calm nature and how he handles players. According to him, Suryakumar keeps the dressing room relaxed and communicates clearly with everyone. This allows the coach to focus on other aspects of the game, knowing the team environment is in safe hands.

"I think he is a phenomenal leader of men – not by what he does on the field, not by the type of batter he is, not by the kind of shots that he plays. All that you can keep aside. But the way he relates to players, the way he talks to players, and how relaxed he is on the field," Gambhir said.

"As a coach, you know you can think about other things because he is going to keep the atmosphere pretty calm. Surya the player, I can keep aside, but Surya the leader has ticked every box. It's a great thing when you have someone like him leading the country because his heart is in the right place, and he takes the right decisions for the team" he added.

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These comments came a day after Suryakumar played a crucial innings against the USA in Mumbai. India were struggling at 77 for six after 13 overs, but Suryakumar held his nerve and scored 84 runs from 49 balls. His knock helped India reach a competitive total of 161 for nine.

The pitch at Wankhede was difficult for batting, as the ball was not coming onto the bat easily. Despite this, Suryakumar adjusted well, using his full range of shots and hit 10 fours and four sixes during his innings.

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Suryakumar also showed sharp thinking as captain during the match, as he trusted his main bowlers and avoided using part-time options. As a result, India managed to restrict the USA to 132 for eight and secured a win.

The Suryakumar-led Indian team reached Delhi on Sunday ahead of their next Group A match against Namibia on Feb 12.