T20 World Cup final: ‘There’s no fun without pressure’, says Suryakumar

Sports Desk
It is better to embrace pressure rather than fear it – that is the advice India captain Suryakumar Yadav gave to his teammates ahead of the T20 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

India are aiming to become the first team to retain the T20 World Cup title for a second consecutive time. However, the road to achieving this feat is not only blocked by a powerful New Zealand XI, but also by the expectations of nearly 1.4 billion people.

Suryakumar sees leading the team to the World Cup final on home soil as a ‘special feeling’. He told reporters on Saturday, ‘There is a bit of nervous tension or a little bit of discomfort in the stomach. But I always say – if there is no tension, there is no fun.’

India lost to Australia in the final of the 50-over World Cup at this very venue three years ago. This time, they have the opportunity to become the first host nation to win the T20 World Cup. Naturally, expectations are high.

Speaking about the team atmosphere, Suryakumar said, “It is very important to have a funny character like Akshar Patel or Arshdeep Singh in the dressing room. When the situation gets very difficult, you need someone on the bus or in the dressing room who can lighten everyone’s mood by having fun.”

He also said that Jasprit Bumrah, Axar or Arshdeep know their job very well, so they don’t talk too much about the complex cricketing situations. Suryakumar said, “We want to be very independent. We are focusing on what is happening at the moment, we are not thinking about the outcome of the final in advance.”

Talking about his role as captain, he said, “It’s more important to build a good culture than being the big brother in the team. It’s important to give everyone freedom and listen to their plans. The key is to understand what everyone in the team wants.”