When the eight captains assembled in Dubai on Tuesday for the unveiling of the Asia Cup Trophy, India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave one of the funniest news conferences.
Afghanistan will play Hong Kong in the opening match of the continental championship on September 9. The captains addressed the media prior to the match and provided updates on their teams’ preparations.
Ahead of the tournament, Suryakumar was questioned about the Indian team management’s stance on Sanju Samson. Since Shubman Gill was added to the team and designated vice-captain, there have been concerns over the wicketkeeper-batter’s position in the starting lineup.
Despite his great success as an opener the previous season, Samson’s position now seems dubious, particularly given his unimpressive middle-order performances, which raise more questions about his selection.
However, the Indian captain promised that Samson will receive proper treatment during the competition.
“Main aapko playing XI message kar deta hoon ( I shall text you the playing XI),” Suryakumar quipped.
“We are actually taking really good care of him. Don’t worry, we will make the right decision tomorrow,” he added.
Although other participants have had the most game time going into the event, India hasn’t played a Twenty20 International series since January. Suryakumar, however, stated that his teammates haven’t played together but have enjoyed themselves in the IPL when it comes to readiness.
“As a team, we played a series together in Jan-Feb. But the boys had a good time in the IPL. So the format was going on. Yeah, but we haven’t played a tournament together after June. But that’s how this tournament is. We accept the challenge, and let’s see how things go from tomorrow,” the Indian captain said.
India’s Asia Cup campaign will kick off on September 10 in Dubai against the United Arab Emirates.
