Suryakumar Yadav: Gautam Gambhir Would 'Pad Up and Play' T20 World Cup Final If He Could

Ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup final on Sunday, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav stated that head coach Gautam Gambhir prioritizes team objectives above individual accolades. Following a month of intense cricketing action, India and New Zealand are set to clash for the prestigious title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Yadav humorously remarked that if given the chance, Gambhir would don his pads and participate in the final match himself. The Indian T20 skipper highlighted Gambhir's extensive experience with ICC finals, having secured two World Cup victories during his illustrious playing career – the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. Notably, Gambhir was India's leading run-scorer in the finals of both those successful campaigns.

"If it was in his power, he would pad up and come out to bat. He has been in these situations, he has won World Cups," India captain Suryakumar Yadav said in the pre-match press conference.

Suryakumar commended Gambhir's coaching philosophy, noting that the 44-year-old mentor is dedicated to maximizing the potential of every individual in the squad.

"His mantra has been that everybody’s contribution should come together in a sport like this. He believes that you can’t win tournaments with one or two players’ contributions. He is focused on getting the best out of each and every player. In the batting department, he wants everybody to stay focused. The main thing is that he has removed the notion of personal milestones from the team. It’s a team game," Suryakumar Yadav said.

Spreading Positivity and Creating a Great Environment

Citing Tilak Varma's crucial cameo of 18 runs off just seven balls in the semi-final against England, Suryakumar explained that such impactful contributions are valued equally alongside a half-century or even a century within the team culture.

"If you see the last game, Tilak made 18 off 7 balls. We treat that similar to someone getting a fifty or a hundred. That’s been the culture in the dressing room. That’s his focus," Suryakumar Yadav said.

"For him, nothing is bigger than the team goal. If it warrants us to hit a six off the first delivery we face, then we have to hit it. If it warrants us to put our natural game aside and play according to the conditions, then we have to do it. That’s his theory. It spreads a lot of positivity and creates a great environment," he concluded.