No shame in saying that India can field multiple T20 teams: Suryakumar

India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav believes the country’s talent pool in the shortest format has grown so vast that it could comfortably field two or even three international-quality teams at the same time, underlining the depth created by a thriving domestic structure and franchise ecosystem.

The flamboyant batter, who has overseen a period of remarkable consistency since taking over the leadership after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, credited the steady pipeline of players emerging from domestic competitions and the Indian Premier League for strengthening India’s dominance in T20 cricket.

Since Suryakumar took over the captaincy in 2024 — right after Rohit Sharma stepped down following the World Cup victory in Barbados — the Indian team has won 42 of the 52 matches played, reflecting team’s dominance in a fickle format.

In a podcast interview with PTI Videos on Sunday, Suryakumar called the current group “the best T20 team India has produced”, adding that India’s depth in T20 cricket is now too evident to be downplayed.

“If you talk about talent, I feel you can find talent regularly. There is IPL cricket, franchise cricket, then there is domestic cricket. You can see how many players come every year. So you can make as many teams as you want in T20 when I am talking about T20,” Suryakumar said.

“So I feel talent is unlimited. If you can make two-three playing XIs, our base is so strong, of the Indian team. So this is not a modest and diplomatic reply. But now it is so strong, so there is no shame in telling the truth,” He said.

Team effort behind 80 per cent win rate:  Suryakumar credited the team’s success coming into the World Cup to a collective approach in the dressing room, saying a shared vision among players and support staff helped produce an impressive 80 per cent win rate in a notoriously unpredictable format.

Even with that success rate, the World Cup was not going to be a cake-walk because, as Suryakumar noted, “we played bilateral matches one way, and in ICC tournaments, something else happened.” For this reason, he needed to motivate the team to maintain the winning streak in the Feb 7 to March 8 tournament. 

“I don’t pay too much attention to statistics but I hate losing any game. If everyone in the dressing room moves in the same direction, only then can you achieve such a percentage,” he said.

India’s consistency in T20Is over the past 18 months has been widely attributed to a stable leadership group led by Suryakumar and head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Batting a mix of instinct and reaction:  Known for his 360-degree strokeplay, Suryakumar described batting in T20 cricket as largely a reactive sport, with preparation accounting for only part of the process.

“I feel batting is about 70—75 per cent reaction. The remaining 25 per cent is instinct, what you decide to do in the moment. Once you enter the ground, you are almost in autopilot mode. You try to bat with rhythm and according to the situation,” he said.

He also traced the origins of his unconventional range of shots to childhood rubber-ball games in Mumbai, where uneven boundary sizes forced him to improvise.

Thin line between courage and recklessness:  While his audacious strokeplay is often described as high risk, Suryakumar said he tries to stay on the right side of the fine line separating courage from recklessness.

“There is a very thin line between being courageous and being reckless. I try to stay on the courageous side. But if the situation demands a high-risk shot, you have to take it. High rewards often require high-risk decisions,” he explained.

Clear understanding with Gambhir:  The skipper also highlighted his strong working relationship with coach Gautam Gambhir, revealing that the duo were almost perfectly aligned when they first sat down to select the team after he was handed the reins of the team and Gambhir took over as coach.

“Out of 15 names we both suggested, 14 were common. That means the thinking was the same. When the goals are clear, there are no arguments, only discussions.”

Despite their professional success, Suryakumar said their personal dynamic remains unchanged.

“I still call him ‘Gauti bhai’. It is like a younger brother and elder brother relationship,” he said.