India captain Suryakumar Yadav claims that he added power batter Ishan Kishan to the winning T20 World Cup squad based only on instinct because he believed the Bihar left-hander had the X-factor that could change games.
Suryakumar was questioned why he chose Kishan over Jitesh Sharma and whether he is a data-driven or gut-feel captain.
“It was completely on gut, little bit on data. It (the decision) was very harsh on Jitesh Sharma at that time because he was playing with the team for over an year. And he was playing, had he not been playing then the story would have been different,” he told PTI Videos.
Speaking extensively about his career, the future of Indian cricket, and his connection with head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team, Suryakumar guided India to victory in the T20 World Cup on March 8. He noted that instinct and reaction play a major role in his own batting.
“I was also very sad when we had to pick Ishan over Jitesh. But we needed an opener who could fire at the top, so someone had to miss out.”
He disclosed how Kishan joined the team: Suryakumar phoned the 27-year-old and inquired: “Chhotu, World Cup jitayega?” (Will you win us the World Cup?). Kishan responded “Bharosa karogey?” (Do you trust me?) to which Suryakumar said “Chal kiya” (Done).
“And the way he played was amazing … I always knew that he can be the X-factor because he has no baggage,” Suryakumar recalled.
After being away from the squad for some time, he said, Kishan was going through a difficult time. He traveled around India to play small games and even practice matches in order to stay competitive.
Kishan did not disappoint his captain. He batted as an opener and at the No. 3 spot in nine games, scoring 317 runs with a strike rate of more than 190.
His total was the fourth best in this World Cup, marking the first time a nation has won consecutive competitions. Under Rohit Sharma, India won the 2024 World Cup in Barbados; he thereafter retired from the shortest international format.
A few weeks later, Suryakumar was chosen as the team’s captain. When it came to Kishan, he simply understood that the explosive wicketkeeper-batter could be the X-factor, but he was not as contemptuous of analytics as head coach Gautam Gambhir.
After being dropped for failing to play mandatory domestic cricket, Suryakumar, 35, praised Kishan’s dedication to a national comeback.
Following his 18-ball 39 against England in the semi-finals of the recently concluded T20 World Cup, Kishan scored a scorching half-century against New Zealand in the final.
Sanju Samson’s selection as an opener was another crucial decision in India’s championship victory. He energized the lineup, which was seeming fragile and a little uneasy, particularly when facing good off-spin.
In addition to securing the trophy for the hosts, the Kerala batsman’s consecutive match-winning innings of 89 in the semi-final and final earned him the honor of player of the tournament.
“…after Sanju Samson got included in the side, I think the tide completely changed. And it was a little bit of tactical decision as well because two left-handers, actually three left-handers were batting at the top,” Suryakumar said referring to the presence of an off-colour Abhishek Sharma and Kishan at the top.
“So it was getting very easy for the opposition to bowl their off-spinners, sometimes part-timers as well. I think it was perfect and timely inclusion of Sanju and then the way he played, I think it was due for him as well,” he explained.
Samson was working hard behind the scenes, and few people knew what he was going through, according to Suryakumar.
“But then the way he played throughout the campaign, became the player of the tournament, I think it was amazing. He is a great talent and most importantly he is a great human being. If you are a great human being, you are a good man, as I always say everywhere good things happen to good people. I think the best thing happened to him when he started playing this World Cup,” he said.
