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Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has credited Gautam Gambhir's leadership for fostering a positive and player-friendly atmosphere in the T20 team on Tuesday in Kolkata.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar highlighted the former Indian opener's unique approach to mentoring and managing players. "I've played under Gambhir for four years, so I know how he works," Suryakumar said. He recalled his journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where Gambhir used to be the captain of the side, and won the IPL in 2014, when Yadav was part of the KKR set-up. "Even without speaking to him, we know what we need to do," he added. Gambhir's influence has been evident, even during his absence on the tour of South Africa, where he was preparing with the Test team. Despite not being physically present, Gambhir's ideology continues to guide the players. "He gives freedom, he allows players to express," Suryakumar added. "He keeps things simple, he knows what is going inside a player's head. He keeps things light and maintains a good atmosphere," he noted. Suryakumar's remarks underline Gambhir's ability to connect with players and create an environment conducive to individual and collective growth. As the team prepares for its next challenge against England, the camaraderie and mutual understanding under Gambhir's guidance could prove crucial to their success. During the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, various reports flooded social media, suggesting a rift between skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. India has hit rock bottom on the back of successive setbacks in Test format. Before hosting New Zealand, India's path to the World Test Championship (WTC) final looked crystal clear but out of the blue, New Zealand orchestrated a historic series whitewash in the subcontinent, which left India's road to the WTC final an intricate affair. After ending up on the wrong side of a 3-0 series defeat, India had to defy the odds in Australia with a series win. Despite the historic win in the opening game at Perth, India's hopes of a series win faded with each passing game, and the five-match series ended with Australia reclaiming the Border Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years with a 3-1 series win. India squad for T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).(ANI)
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