‘He has ticked every box’ - Gautam Gambhir hails 'phenomenal captain' Suryakumar Yadav

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has praised “phenomenal” skipper Suryakumar Yadav for his inspirational leadership and ability to create a relaxed vibe in the dressing room.

Gambhir emphasised how the team atmosphere has been one of the key reasons behind India’s success in the shortest format, adding the Suryakumar has “made my life a lot easier.”

Notably, India have played eight bilateral T20I series and an Asia Cup after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 and the start of the 2026 edition, with Suryakumar captaining in seven of those. The only exception was the five-match series against Zimbabwe immediately after the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Shubman Gill led the team to a 4-1 win.

The coach highlighted that Suryakumar’s exceptional man-management skills have taken the load off his shoulders and has enabled him to focus on the more critical aspects.

“Surya has made my life a lot easier in this format, and I think he’s a phenomenal leader of men, not because of the kind of batter he is or the shots he plays. All of that you can keep aside, but because of what he does on the cricket field. The way he relates to players, the way he talks to them, the time he spends with them, and how relaxed he is on the field. As a Coach, that allows you to think about other things, because you know he’s going to keep the atmosphere calm, which is what any Coach can dream of,” Gambhir said on JioStar’s ‘Follow the Blues.

“For me, Surya, the player can be kept aside, but Surya the leader has ticked every box. He’s a phenomenal leader. It’s a great thing to have someone like him leading the country, because his heart is in the right place and he takes the right decisions, especially under pressure.”

Gambhir further elaborated on the need of having a relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room, stating that each member in the current team enjoys each other’s success and thrives in tandem.

“For me, they are a great bunch of young boys. They want to have fun, they want to play for each other. The atmosphere and the dressing room is relaxed, and that’s extremely important, because once you walk onto the field, it’s serious business. The dressing room, however, can never be serious all the time. Yes, you want to stay switched on, but you also need to be relaxed. You can’t be completely on edge in the dressing room. I think this environment has been really good.

“There’s always room for improvement, but these boys love playing for each other and sharing the dressing room together. That’s one of the reasons we’ve got results. Results aren’t only about the brand of cricket you play; there are many other factors involved, and in this format, we’ve had success because the boys genuinely enjoy being with each other,” he added.