Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, and Ishan Kishan. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup captain Suryakumar Yadav has revealed that one of the biggest selections of the tournament – the selection of Ishan Kishan over Jitesh Sharma – was largely driven by instinct rather than sheer numbers. The skipper admitted the decision was tough but insisted his gut told him Kishan could be the “X-factor” India needed on the big stage.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Suryakumar said the call was a delicate balance between data and intuition. “It was totally in the gut, a bit on the data. It was very rough on Jitesh Sharma at that time because he had played with the team for over a year. If he hadn’t played, it would have been a different story,” he said in a podcast interview with PTI Videos.
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The captain revealed that the turning point came during a direct conversation with Kishan. “I called him and asked, “Chhotu, World Jitayez Championship?” He asked, “Bharosa karogey?” I said, “Chal kiya.” And the way he played was amazing,” Suryakumar recalled. “I always knew he could be X-factor because he has no baggage.Kishan justified that belief in style during the tournament by scoring 317 runs in nine matches in a success rate of over 190 to open the innings and bat at No. 3. His total was the fourth highest in the competition as India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time in a row following their triumph under Rohit Sharma’s 204.Suryakumar also highlighted Kishan’s determination to fight his way back into the national set-up after a difficult phase. “He was going through a bad condition and was out of the team for a while. But he traveled across India and played practice matches and smaller games to stay fit,” he said.Another tactical challenge that proved crucial was the inclusion of Sanju Samson at the top of the order. According to Suryakumar, Samson’s arrival changed the dynamics of the Indian campaign. “Once Sanju was included, the tide changed completely. It was also tactical because we had too many lefties at the top and opponents off the corkscrew were having an easy time.”Samson responded with match-winning performances, including scores of 89 in both the semi-finals and final, ultimately earning the Player of the Tournament award.Reflecting on his own approach, Suryakumar described T20 batting as largely instinctive. “It’s a reaction-driven sport. About 70 to 75 percent of batting is reaction and the rest is instinct. You just gauge what the situation calls for on the day and bat accordingly,” he said.
