Suryakumar Yadav of India during a session of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India vs Sri Lanka 2026 in India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)
TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: In any final, the outcome mostly depends on how the team handles the pressure. The heart rate is above normal, and even the best workers in this field feel the heat of the occasion.
Add to that the implication of playing in a stadium that carries the ghosts of the World Cup past. Nearly 100,000 people are in the stands, painting the venue blue, making the situation and occasion effortless.‘Pressure’ was the word that came up often when India captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media on the eve of the T20 World Cup final. Suriya was part of the team that suffered heartbreak at the hands of Australia on November 19, 2023 in the ODI World Cup final.
He, like most of his team-mates, would have felt the eerie silence of the crowd as Pat Cummins and Co. stunned the hosts in the title clash.
T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav’s press conference before IND-New Zealand match
The silence and crowd noise returned to discussion again before the final match on Sunday, but Suriya chose to downplay the importance of the chatter. He acknowledged the challenges, pressure and excitement that the final brings, and his message to the team was simple: be brave.“We have prepared for this stage really well. It started two years ago and I’ve been on a journey and the circuit is in the same ballpark again where we left in 2023.
We hope you play good cricket and are brave in difficult situations. “This is a simple message to the team,” Soria said.Easier said than done. While the group discussed accepting pressure rather than just dealing with it, only tough cakes stand the test of such occasions. Over the past few months, Surya has noticed that giving the group freedom to act has produced amazing results rather than restricting them with excessive communication.
The Captain realizes that everyone needs a different approach but the success rate has been very high whenever they are “released.”As a leader, with forgotten memories of “November’s past,” the stakes may be higher for Syria, but he is looking on the brighter side. The pressure and nervousness are there, but so is the excitement and special feeling of playing and leading the team in the final match at home.“These guys don’t let me talk much in the dressing room – at all. These guys dictate their terms. So I saw that when they get freedom, they become a different personality on the field. I noticed that when I started captaining this team 5-6 months ago. Then I understood that nothing will happen by being an older brother or a father. They have to be left alone. Nothing will happen if they stick to their ears. They have to be left free, only then can they give their best.”
“As a captain, there will definitely be pressure on me. I’m not saying there won’t be pressure, I won’t get nervous, because if I’m not under pressure and if I don’t feel nervous, how am I going to get the best out of me and obviously the team. There will definitely be extra pressure, but at the same time there’s a lot of excitement because you don’t get an opportunity like this to play in a World Cup final, and that too in India,” he said.
“This is a special feeling,” Soria said.For Suriya – the player and Suriya – the captain, this is his biggest moment under the sun. Many Indian Premier League finals, titles, bilateral victories and even the Asia Cup do not matter. What matters is the team’s performance on the big night in Ahmedabad. When he steps out chewing gum at the Narendra Modi Stadium, it will all boil down to his handling of the P word and how he can maintain a clear decision-making while making tough decisions in the middle, while batting and while captaining the team.
reconnaissance
Do you think Suryakumar Yadav’s approach of giving players freedom will lead to better performance?
He has coach Gautam Gambhir in his corner, who according to the skipper can both prepare and bat, and together the duo has a chance to create history. The only defending T20 World Cup team to win a T20 World Cup at home is just one win away and this win would also secure coach Gambhir’s second ICC title in as many attempts. Many critical priorities are separated by this major win. The win will put Ahmedabad on the cricket map with a memorable event for the hosts, somewhat diminishing the ghosts of last November 19.“He’s gay? (Will it happen?),” Surya asked Rohit in Wankhede ahead of the semi-final. The former captain gave a reassuring reply.“If we play well, it will happen,” Soria said on Saturday, with a smile carrying confidence from his former captain’s words and the entire campaign.