Suryakumar Yadav has drawn a subtle but telling difference between India’s World Cup-winning T20 squads, describing the 2024 squad as one led by experienced enthusiasm and the 2026 squad as a group fueled by the fiery passion of youth.
In a podcast interview with PTI, the Indian captain reflected on how the two champion sides differed in character and motivation despite achieving the same performance.
Read the full article
EXPERIENCE VERSUS PASSION
Led by Rohit Sharma, the 2024 side was built on the experience of stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, players who spent years chasing the elusive ICC trophy. Their triumph in Barbados closed that chapter, with all three retiring from the format to make way for a younger generation.
“There was only (little difference) between the two teams. Woh experience wala josh tha, idhar ekdum khoon garam tha ladkon ka,” said Suryakumar, summing up the contrast between the two teams.
He elaborated further, noting that while the 2024 side had clearly defined roles and a wealth of experience to draw on, the 2026 group was younger and needed to be guided through the unique pressure of playing a World Cup at home.
“In 2024, everyone was perfectly defined for their role. This time, most of the guys are 25 to 27 years old. It was necessary to explain to them what it feels like to win the World Cup in India with 50,000 people cheering for you in the stadium, that’s a million people.”
WINNING AT HOME MEANED MORE
India entered 2026 edition as overwhelming favorite on home soil, burden of 2024 party did not carry to the same extent. That earlier team had to overcome years of mental strain and near misses before finally winning the trophy in Barbados. This time, the challenge was managing expectations rather than chasing redemption.
For Suryakumar, the captaincy also added a deeper personal dimension to the triumph. “The emotions were almost similar. We were playing for India there too, we wanted to win the World Cup. In ’26, the goal was the same but the emotions were a bit bigger because we were playing in India. We wanted to win it at the same stadium in Ahmedabad. That was more important for us,” he said.
India’s unprecedented title defense will go down as one of the great achievements in the country’s cricketing history, and Suryakumar’s words offer a rare insight into what set this fearless young group apart.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
17 March 2026 15:40 IST
