Captaining India to glory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was a defining moment for Suryakumar Yadav. However, the tournament was not just about on-field strategies and match-winning performances. Behind the scenes, the Indian skipper had to manage difficult conversations and maintain harmony within the squad during the pressure-packed campaign. Suryakumar eventually became only the third Indian captain to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.
But the road to that achievement included some tough selection calls. One of those decisions involved dropping senior all-rounder Axar Patel from the playing XI in two matches during the 2026 tournament. Axar Patel, who has been a consistent performer for India in limited-overs cricket, missed the group-stage match against the Netherlands. He was also left out of the lineup for the crucial clash against South Africa, a decision that naturally left the experienced all-rounder frustrated.
Suryakumar later admitted that Axar’s reaction was completely justified, considering the role he plays in the team and his leadership responsibilities in franchise cricket. “He (Axar) was very angry – and he should have been,” Suryakumar Yadav told The Indian Express. “He’s an experienced player; he leads a franchise. He should be angry.”
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The Indian captain explained that the situation required honesty and transparency. Rather than letting the tension linger, Suryakumar chose to address the matter directly with Axar and acknowledge his disappointment.
“I apologised. I told him I made a mistake and I’m sorry, but it was a call for the team. It was a hard conversation. He took it in his stride, and we talked it through the next day.”
Axar soon returned to the playing XI after India suffered a 76-run defeat to South Africa in their first Super 8 match. The loss left India in a must-win situation, with victories required against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Suryakumar also revealed that the blueprint for India’s successful campaign had been prepared long before the tournament began. When he took over leadership duties in 2024, the team decided to shift away from their previous approach and embrace a new brand of cricket focused entirely on results.
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“We knew the way we played the 2024 T20 World Cup – that brand of cricket – won’t work going ahead. So, we decided: from hereon we will not pay attention to personal milestones, the goal is to win games.” The impact of that philosophy became clear as the tournament progressed. “If you noticed, till the semifinals none of our players were top run-getters or top wicket-takers. But we qualified and kept winning. Every game, every player contributed. It was very important to spread this thing like a virus in the team from the start. “We planted this team culture 18 months back,” he added. 🏏
