Here is the full transcript of Suryakumar Yadav’s press conference on Friday, February 6, ahead of India vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 match.
(Reporter:)
Surya, any update on Harshit Rana? Has he been ruled out or is he still there?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
He hasn’t been ruled out yet, but after the warm-up game, he wasn’t looking good. Physios are assessing him, but I think we’ll find out today. But he doesn’t look good. Yeah, it’s not that great.
(Reporter:)
Even from his team 3-4 players who have played from Mumbai, you know that too and people are jokingly saying that it’s a match between Green Card and Aadhar Card. Yeah, it’s a joke. But – Surya, your life circle is also getting completed, as you left Mumbai and you’re going to lead the World Cup now. How do you see all this?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
They’ve gone now to the land of dollars. But I see it from a good perspective. It’s good that people are getting an opportunity. Even though they’re playing from other countries, it’s a good opportunity for them. I’ve played a lot of cricket with them. But right now, we’re having fun in our own cricket. The way we’re playing cricket. At least I have played in Bombay, so I know how it works here. It’ll be fun. We’ll start the tournament tomorrow, after that, we’ll catch up slowly.
As a captain, I’m feeling good. I keep reminding myself that when you say captain, it sounds overrated. Say leader, it sounds better. The feeling of a leader. So when you say captain, there’s a little complacency. But it’s good. It’s a good responsibility to lead such a good group on home soil. And starting the campaign from Wankhede. So I’m very excited, and it’s a good responsibility.
(Reporter:)
If I ask Ishan Kishan. Since he’s come in the team, he’s been batting against New Zealand at the third spot. He opened in the warm-up. What would you say about his graph after joining the team? You looked very happy after his last match, after his half a century. Ishan Kishan’s impact in the dressing room and the way he’s come. Can we expect to see him opening in the World Cup?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
Definitely. The way he’s played cricket in the last five T20s, it was an international game, so he show a lot. But if you look at the domestic cricket he was playing. The Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20. He batted like this in that too. And he came here and carried the same thing.
Even though he got an opportunity at number 3, and he opened in the warm-up game yesterday. So I hope he keeps batting like this. Whatever position he plays. He won’t play below 3, but whatever opportunity he gets, he’ll keep batting like this.
(Reporter:)
Surya, if Harshit gets ruled out, how big of a blow would that be, because he’s an all-rounder. We don’t even know about Washington’s fitness status right now, so he’s an all-rounder,
He’s an important player for the team.
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
Don’t worry, we have 11 players for tomorrow. But the big blow is obvious. If you make a squad of 15 players. You make the squad with a lot of combinations in mind. We made it with that in mind. And if he’s not available for us going forward, then we’ll set other combinations. But we have enough players and combinations. Against all the teams that we can make for the tournament. But if we miss him, we’ll definitely miss him.
(Reporter:)
And another question of Harshit. With a different undertone. If eventually he’s ruled out.
That would be unfortunate. But who are the replacement options?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
We’ll see which fast bowlers have done really well for the last 1 or 2 years. And who is a bowler who can bat as well. But there’s no hard and fast rule that he has to bat. Because if you’re expecting someone at 9 or 10 to come and hit a six. Then what will you do with the top 8 people? What will you tell them? But we’ll see. But we do have a few options, we’ll pick the best one.
(Reporter:)
Surya, it’s a one month tournament. And we’ve seen surprises in this format before. So how important is tomorrow’s game going to be? Because it’s the first match.
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
I think all the games that we’ll play from tomorrow. Like from warm up game. Warm up game was also important for us to set the tone for the World Cup. And if you play against any team in the World Cup I think all the games will be important. You can’t take any team lightly. Because in this format – You just require 2 good batters on a given day. Or 1 or 2 good bowlers to make a difference. So you have to be switched on all the time. In every game. And we’ve seen it before during the T20 World Cup or any tournament. That yes, teams have troubled a lot of teams. So we’ll have to bring our A game. Set the tone from tomorrow.
(Reporter:)
Surya, not having a strong team in the initial rounds – Maybe except Pakistan. Is it an advantage or a disadvantage? How do you see that?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
Sir, I don’t see any weak teams in the competition. All 20 teams are very much capable of. Playing some good cricket in this format. As I said, it’s a format where you can see. A good player doing well on any given day. That requires 1 or 2 batters to make a difference. Or 1 or 2 bowlers to have a good – good 24 balls on that given day. So we’ll have to play the same way as we’ve been playing against all the teams. So there’s no weak or tough teams in the competition. I think all are the same.
(Reporter:)
Surya, every tournament that India comes into, especially World Cups, they come in with a lot of expectations. But this time the expectations are a lot more higher, because of the performance of the team in the last 19 months. Having lost just 5 or 6 matches. So how are you looking forward to handling that expectation and playing at home as well.
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
I think when you’re playing at home, there is always an added pressure. I’m not running away from the fact. To be honest, there will be nerves. There will be pressure. But if you see the positive side of it, there will be a lot of cheer around. You’re playing at home soil, you know there are people backing you. Talking about expectations. Definitely the way we’ve played in the last 1 or 2 years. People must be expecting the same way. And we will try giving them more reasons. To stay on top, to play the same brand of cricket. There are so many people coming to watch in the stadiums. I’ve told my boys the same thing. 30-35 thousand people coming. So many people watching at home. Let’s give them a good time. Let’s give them entertainment.
(Reporter:)
Surya, as an individual who is also the leader of this camp. How do you see this competition. Where India is expected to go all the way and win the trophy, and that will again be a third title win which no other team has done in the past. How do you look at this possibility as a leader?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
See, there’s no double thought. That we’ve been playing good cricket, but at the same time you have to be in present as well. Yes, you’re playing at home. You’re expected to win the tournament. The way you’ve been playing your cricket. No one has defended the title. No one has won on the home soil. Yes, everything runs in everyone’s mind. But at the same time, you have to be in the present as well. You have to see what you want to do on the given day. What kind of cricket you want to play. That is I think very important. And just stay in the present. Have your feet where you are. Stay grounded, because when you’re playing at home. You want to be more excited. You want to give people more than they expect. And that times you might make a mistake. But I think staying in present will be the key in this World Cup. Even though we go till the end. But I think every game we play, we will have to be very relaxed and think about the game what we’re playing.
(Reporter:)
Surya, at the time of the selection. You did admit that left hand and right hand combination. Is kind of overrated. But in a top 8 that could possibly have 6 left handers. Does that become a different headache to manage for the management? How do you handle it?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
Now you tell me, are you enjoying watching the sixes and the fours? You are right. I think it’s a good headache. And I do feel it is an overrated conversation. Because at this stage when you’ve played so much cricket against the left hand spinners, off spinners. Whatever it is. You’ve played enough cricket. You practice a lot. So on a given day, irrespective a spinner or a fast bowler is bowling to 2 left handers or 2 right handers. I think your job is to do what you do the best for the team and that’s what is happening.
(Reporter:)
Surya, India generally try to focus on their own strengths more than look at the opposition.
But teams like US, Namibia, Netherlands – you’ve not played a lot against them. So how much work goes into figuring out what to expect from those sides?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
See, we do see a lot of videos. Yes, we don’t play them often. But at the same time we have a lot of preparations going on. When we have bowlers meeting, batters meeting. We see the bowlers. We play similar kind of fast bowlers when we are practicing in the nets as well. So yes, there are a lot of preparations behind it. Though we have a disadvantage that we don’t get to play these nations. But definitely you have to be prepared. At this level, there is no excuse.
(Reporter:)
Just wanted to know. How is the confidence level in the team that you have won recently – 4-1 against New Zealand. Which was very good and now the practice match against South Africa. How is the atmosphere in the dressing room?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
See, the atmosphere is good. The mood in the camp is really nice. Very positive. Most important is that people are enjoying what’s happening around. As a group. So that’s what I want from them because I have shared a few 2024 T20 World Cup experience and instances with them. So that taste. They should feel that taste. And the mood in the camp is very happy. Very relaxed. Very excited for the World Cup. I told them there is very less people who get an opportunity to represent India. That too on the home soil. So it’s a great opportunity. So just enjoy it and cherish it.
(Reporter:)
Let’s talk some cricket. Just wanted to ask you about slow ball. And especially. Someone like Sam Curran’s moon ball. When a left arm fast bowler bowls a slow ball and especially a guy like Curran. Who goes and bowls from 80 kmph to 40 or something. As a right handed batter or just as a batter. What is the challenge?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
I think. It’s all about your skill. It’s all about how you want to practice those deliveries. I think those – We have been trying to do that. Yes. There are lot of teams. Lot of batters who enjoy playing against pace. But at the same time this comes with the skill. If the left arm fast bowler or any right arm fast bowler has a skill of bowling nice slower deliveries – it all comes with practice. You have to just practice in the nets. And be prepared for that in the game.
(Reporter:)
We have always seen you smile. Even if things are not going your way. Be it your runs. Be it a likely rule out of Harshit. Have you always been like this? Is this something you have worked on?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
There is already enough pressure from outside. Oh. I didn’t say that.
See there is already so much going on on the ground. When we are off the field. So I think when we are on the field. We just want to be relaxed, because I feel the preparations – what we do during practice sessions. When we are in the room, I think that sets the tone when you come on the ground. As I have always said – It comes on auto-pilot when you come on the ground. You have to let your emotions flow and take the best call what the team needs on that given day. So at the same time – and you know this format is actually very harsh for the bowlers. Sometimes to the batters as well. But you have to be relaxed. Give them company at that time. Make them relaxed. Take their breaths back. And just enjoy it. You are there as a group for 75-80 minutes on the ground. When you are fielding. So I think that’s the time we have fun on the ground. And then enjoy it.
(Reporter:)
Apart from the pressure and the leadership role and all these things. As an individual also is this World Cup a little extra special for you. Because it’s a home World Cup. The first match is also in your home ground. You have been given this legacy by your senior Rohit of defending the title. Especially at home. So does it add an extra factor here?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
See as I said. Playing at home soil is always excitement, I felt that when we played the ODI World Cup in 2023. Crowd coming in numbers. People having chat around when you are travelling on the airport. So it’s a good thing. It gives you motivation all the time. But yeah at the same time it brings a lot of responsibility also. That you are getting to lead such a wonderful side. That too in India. At home soil. Starting at Wankhede. So boys are very excited. To take the field tomorrow. And I am sure there will be a lot of excitement.
(Reporter:)
Surya you said that this format is very harsh for bowlers. You have that luxury that two spinners are playing from India. Varun Chakraborty and Kuldeep. Both are with you.
Will that be an awkward question or a good headache for you. Or is it clear for you – that these two are match winners. Spinners, they will play in every match or will you see the conditions before every match. How do you see this?
(Suryakumar Yadav:)
See this is an added advantage that you have such good bowlers available. But at the same time you have to see the combination against the opposite team who can you play with. If there is a need that we can feed two spinners – that we can play with two wrist spinners, then we will definitely use them, but yes it’s always good to have options like Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav – two best spinners in the world. And it is a very good headache.
