Suryakumar Lightens the Mood After India Seal T20I Series Victory

Brisbane, Nov 2025 : India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav mixed humour with pride after guiding his team to a 2–1 series victory over Australia, joking that it felt good to “finally hold a trophy” following the recent Asia Cup 2025 trophy standoff. His remarks came after the fifth and final T20I at The Gabba was washed out due to persistent rain, officially sealing India’s seventh consecutive T20I series win.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Suryakumar said he thoroughly enjoyed lifting the series trophy after days of chatter surrounding the Asia Cup trophy handover controversy.
“It feels great to finally get to touch the trophy,” he said with a smile. “I felt it in my hands when the trophy was handed over to us for the series victory. A few days ago, another trophy arrived in India—the one our women’s team won at the World Cup. That trophy is already back home. So, getting to hold this one too feels really good.”

The India captain credited his young squad for maintaining consistency and hunger even after lifting the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Since then, India have been unbeaten in T20I series and now look ahead to two crucial home assignments against South Africa and New Zealand before they defend their world title on home soil in three months.

Despite the team’s winning streak, Suryakumar insisted there is always room for improvement in T20 cricket. “You can never say all the bases are covered,” he said. “I’m very lucky to have all these boys with different skills. They bring so many unique things to the table. When we chat about bowling, batting, or fielding, you must have seen the energy on the ground. Everyone enjoys playing together.”

He particularly praised the batting group for sticking to the style they have developed over the past eight months. “From a batting point of view, we’re not changing anything. The approach we’ve followed for the last six to eight months is working well. The way the top order bats puts a smile on everyone’s face.”

Talking about the bowling unit, Suryakumar highlighted the impact of Jasprit Bumrah’s experience.
“People are taking responsibility. Having someone like Bumrah in the team helps everyone. They’re constantly learning new skills from him—little tricks of the trade. There’s a good friendship building in the bowling group as well.”

He added that the team would continue refining their game as the T20 World Cup approaches.
“There’s never a situation where everything is perfect. We keep learning every match. Till now, things look good—touch wood. We’ll continue doing the same.”

A major positive for India on this tour was the emergence of left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma, who was named Player of the Series for scoring 163 runs in three innings at an impressive average of 40.75. His opening partnerships with Shubman Gill drew special praise from the captain.

Suryakumar lauded the duo for adjusting their batting tempo depending on match conditions.
“If the wicket is difficult, the quicker you adapt, the better it is,” he said. “Today the wicket was good, so they returned to their natural game—look how quickly they scored 50 in under five overs. But in the last game, reading the wicket properly was important, and they did that perfectly.”

He emphasised that adaptation at the international level comes only with experience and game time.
“At this level, experience teaches you everything. The way Abhishek adapted so quickly is encouraging. If we get similar slow or turning pitches in the subcontinent in the future, it won’t be new for him anymore.”

The skipper also praised their communication and running between the wickets. “They communicate well, they run well, and they are learning quickly. In T20s, you have only 120 balls, but often you have more time than you think. Sometimes taking four or five extra balls to settle in is not a problem because they have the skill to cover up later.”

Suryakumar concluded with a light-hearted line in Hindi, reflecting the learning curve young players undergo. “Sometimes, even if a lion has to eat grass, it’s okay,” he laughed, referring to the idea that adapting to tough situations is part of the game.

With India’s bench growing stronger and their confidence rising, the series win in Australia marks another promising step as they prepare for their world title defence at home.

Team Maverick.