India head coach Gautam Gambhir backs out-of-form T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said he is unbothered by T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s recent poor form with the bat ahead of the five-match series against Australia.

Despite leading India to the Asia Cup title, Suryakumar has struggled for runs, managing only 72 in his last seven innings.

“Honestly, Surya’s batting form doesn’t concern me because we have committed to an ultra-aggressive template in our dressing room. When you embrace this philosophy, failures are inevitable,” said Gambhir in an interview with JioHotstar.

“It would be easy for Surya to score 40 runs off 30 balls and avoid criticism, but we have collectively decided that it’s acceptable to fail while pursuing this approach,” he added.

“His free-spirited character perfectly matches T20 cricket’s essence, it’s about freedom and expression. Your off-field personality reflects on the field and in the dressing room, and Surya has maintained this atmosphere brilliantly over the past 1.5 years.

“From our first conversation, we agreed: we will not fear losing. I don’t aim to be the most successful coach; I want us to be the most fearless team,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir also emphasised the aggressive brand of cricket India has adopted in T20s.

“In T20 cricket, our focus isn’t on individual runs but on the brand of cricket we want to play. With our aggressive style, batters may fail more often, but impact ultimately matters more than mere runs,” Gambhir said.

The India head coach admitted that by adopting such a high-risk style of cricket, his players must be prepared to face failures.

“In big games like the Asia Cup final, I told the players it’s okay to drop a catch, play a bad shot, or bowl a poor delivery. Human beings make mistakes. Only the opinions of those in the dressing room matter.

“Surya and I consistently agree: we will never fear mistakes. The bigger the game, the more fearless and aggressive we must be. A conservative approach only gives the opposition an advantage. With the talent we have, if we play fearlessly, we will be fine,” Gambhir said.

Published on Oct 27, 2025