India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav feels that the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia will play a significant role in India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup in 2026. (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav feels that the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia will play a significant role in India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup in 2026. Having recently lost the three-match ODI series 1-2, India will now focus on the shortest format with the T20Is starting on Wednesday.The first match will be played in Canberra, followed by the second in Melbourne on October 31, the third in Hobart at Bellerive Oval on November 2, the fourth in Gold Coast at Bill Pippen Oval on November 6 and the fifth and final T20I in Brisbane on November 8.
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Ahead of the start of the series, Suryakumar said the team was approaching the tour as an extension of its ongoing T20 process rather than treating it as a separate overseas challenge.“The combination hasn’t changed much. When we went to South Africa last time, we also played with one fast bowler, one all-rounder and three spinners there. So the conditions are similar – bouncy tracks,” Suryakumar said.He further explained that India’s preparation for the T20 World Cup had already started earlier this year.
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“Obviously our preparation (for the T20 World Cup 2026) started with the Asia Cup. Because from then we started playing T20. And it will continue like this,” he said.Although most of India’s upcoming T20 assignments will be played in Asian conditions, Suryakumar emphasized that the mindset of the team remains unchanged. “We don’t look like we have come to play in a foreign country. So we will see this series in a different way. We will look at it the same way. It is preparation for the World Cup,” he added.Describing Australia as both “beautiful” and “challenging”, Suryakumar said: “It’s a beautiful country to play cricket in. And it’s quite challenging too. So I’m sure it will be good.”Suryakumar also shared an update on Shreyas Iyer, who was in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a Sydney hospital after suffering a lacerated spleen, saying the batter was stable and was responding to messages on the phone.Iyer sustained the injury while taking a catch from Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carry during the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He was immediately taken to the hospital for further examination and was later admitted to the ICU there.“We talked to him. At least the first day we found out he was injured I was the first to call him. Then I learned that he didn’t have a phone. Then I called my physiotherapist Kamlesh. He told me he was stable. You can’t be sure of anything on the first day.“We’ve been talking to him for two days now. He’s answering. If he’s answering the phone, it means he’s stable. And there’s a doctor there with him. But he’ll be under observation for the next couple of days. So it’s looking good. But he’s been answering, so that’s good,” Suryakumar said ahead of the first T20I against Australia.“He was answering. If he’s answering the phone, it means he’s stable. And the doctor is there with him. But he’ll be under observation for the next few days. So it looks good. But he was answering, so good,” he added.
