India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised head coach Gautam Gambhir for removing the obsession with personal milestones in the team. Gambhir took over as India’s head coach in July 2024 and since then India have been on a rampage in the shortest format of the game. After their triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup, India won nine consecutive bilateral series, including the 2025 Asia Cup.
Since July 2024, the Men in Blue have won 31 of their 41 matches and lost just six, with two matches ending in a draw and the other two tied. Suryakumar Yadav was recently asked about Gautam Gambhir’s impact on the side and the Indian skipper credited the head coach with putting more emphasis on team goals than individual milestones.
“The dressing room is the same. Only the boxes have changed a little bit. But it’s been a wonderful journey since he took over. The main thing is that he has created an atmosphere in the dressing room where it’s about team play. So, leaving your personal milestones aside, it’s more important to think about the team’s goal. They said it slowly during the captain’s pre-tournamarya and now it’s captain Surya before the competition.
Suryakumar gave an example Ishan Kishan to illustrate the shift in thinking, explaining how the opener showed little interest in his personal milestone during the last T20I against New Zealand in Trivandrum and went on to complete his century with a six. He also highlighted how Gambhir has ensured that the atmosphere in the dressing room remains relaxed and the players regularly go out for team dinners and outings together.
“In our last game in Trivandrum, Ishan was in the 90s and he still went for a six to get his hundred. That shows our mindset – we put personal milestones aside and focus on the team goal. The players in the middle are trusted to do it. He has given everyone that freedom. The atmosphere in the dressing room is very easy, team dinners and outings make a big difference and these little things add up to make a big difference.
When will India start the T20 WC campaign?
Meanwhile, India started their T20 World Cup campaign in style by winning the warm-up match against South Africa by 30 runs. The men in blue were placed in Group A alongside Namibia, Netherlands, USA and Pakistan and will officially begin their campaign against the USA in their first league match February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Given India’s remarkable record in the shortest format in recent times, they are favorites to become the first team to successfully defend their title and lift the trophy on home soil.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 5, 2026