India skipper stays focused on the present, determined to carry forward winning momentum
Suryakumar Yadav aims to carry the team’s positive atmosphere and winning form into the England T20I series opener.
India are set to begin their five-match T20I series against England at Eden Gardens on Wednesday, 22nd January.
Ahead of the series opener, India captain Suryakumar Yadav spoke about the team's preparations and the importance of not looking too far ahead.
“We are taking each series one at a time. I know the T20 World Cup is a year away, and the transition so far has happened quite smoothly,” said the India skipper at the pre-match presser.
“We are taking it one series at a time, just like how we started in Sri Lanka, then played Bangladesh, and followed it up with South Africa.
“As a group, we know what brand of cricket we want to play, and we want to stick to the process.
“There are a few areas which we want to focus on and which we are doing really well and the preparations are going really well,” Suryakumar said on the team's preparations ahead of the opening T20I.
India won the T20I series against South Africa away from home under SKY back in November, with a young and fresh-faced side stepping up with big contributions.
The squad for the T20Is against England is headlined by the return of senior pacer Mohammed Shami, who makes his comeback after a long gap since playing in the ICC Men’s World Cup Final in 2023 against Australia.
The India captain shared his excitement about having an experienced player like Mohammed Shami making it back to the Indian side.
“It’s always good to have an experienced bowler in your side, and he’s making a comeback after a year.
“I have seen his journey at the NCA; he was focusing on his bowling and recovery, and it’s great to see him fit and back in the side.”
Every Mohammed Shami wicket | CWC23
Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma showcased their best with the bat in South Africa, with the duo scoring two centuries each in the four-match series.
Talking about the team combinations, SKY insisted that the wicketkeeping position is already fixed, with Sanju Samson, who scored 216 runs at an average of 72 in South Africa, including two centuries, set to play again as an opening batter and wicketkeeper.
“Currently, there is no question mark on the wicketkeeper. Sanju has done really well in the last 10 games and shown what he is capable of. He really made use of the opportunity, and I am really happy for him.”
India made some significant changes to the batting order during the South Africa series, and the captain shared the team's process and the flexibility required to achieve success.
“We all want to be very flexible with the batting order. Other than the openers, I think from positions 3-8, everyone needs to be really flexible with their batting order.
“We have been practicing for that, and it will change according to the games.”