India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he caught up with legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni before the T20 World Cup, seeking his guidance on the mindset and approach needed for the tournament. It was under MS Dhoni’s captaincy that India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. With little experience in the format, the underdog side defied expectations and went all the way. For Suryakumar, however, the circumstances were very different, with India entering the tournament as favourites. His team lived up to the billing and added a third star to India’s T20 jersey by defeating New Zealand in the final.
Speaking about a brief interaction ahead of the tournament, Suryakumar shared that Dhoni told him to be courageous, which would help the team go over the line, and that eventually happened.
“I had met him (MS Dhoni) before the tournament and he told me how to approach an ICC tournament. He told me that we have a good team, we just have to be courageous and we will definitely win. His reaction after the win was amazing,” said the captain.
Also Read – Rishabh Pant looks up to Yuvraj Singh for Sanju Samson-like career revival
Suryakumar has joined an elite list of Indian captains to lead the side to T20 World Cup glory, with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma being the only others on that list. Reacting to the milestone and the company he now keeps in Indian cricket history, Surya expressed pride and gratitude while looking ahead to building on the achievement, saying:
“It feels good to join that elite company. I am slowly feeling it. It is a very special feeling to be talked about among such great people. I will try to do the same in the future and help India win more trophies,” he said to PTI Videos.
“Next target is to win the Olympic gold in 2028”
Speaking about back-to-back triumphs and the ambitions that lie ahead, the Indian skipper highlighted the team’s momentum, the joy of winning at home, and the hunger to chase even bigger milestones in the years to come.
“It feels good to win 24 and 26 back-to-back. It is a very special feeling. When we won in 2024, we thought it would be so special to do this again at home in 2026. The next target is to win the Olympic gold in 2028. The team has a good momentum. If India wins the T20 World Cup in the same year, it will be great,” he said.
