Special dinner for Team India at Gautam Gambhir’s house in Delhi | T20 World Cup
The former India opener emphasized that Suryakumar’s greatest strength lies in how he connects with his teammates. “Not by what he does on the field, not by how he is as a batsman, but by how he treats the players, how he talks to them, how he spends time with the players,” explained Gambhir, adding that the captain’s relaxed presence provides a calm environment that “any coach can dream of.”India opened their campaign with a win over the USA, where Suryakumar led from the front with a match-winning 84 off 49 balls after an early top-order collapse. The performance reinforced Gambhir’s belief that the 35-year-old thrives under pressure.“For me I think Surya is a player that I can keep aside but Surya is a leader, for me I think he has ticked every box. He is just a phenomenal leader…” Gambhir said. “It’s great to have someone like him leading the country because his heart is in the right place and he makes the right decisions, especially when things are under pressure.”India will now look to build momentum when they take on Namibia on Thursday.