Former Indian cricketers Ashish Nehra and Ajay Jadeja expressed surprise at Suryakumar Yadav's recent revelation about a new team ritual. Jadeja emphasised the importance of natural team bonding, suggesting that avoiding small groups within a team should occur organically.
India's recent 3-0 T20I series victory over Sri Lanka marked the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era. The series showcased the team's improved dynamics and generated significant interest in the atmosphere within the Indian dressing room. Gambhir's influence on the team was evident throughout the series. India clinched a thrilling Super Over victory in the final T20I against Sri Lanka. In a post-match interview with Sony Sports, captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed a new team dynamic. He emphasized the importance of players sitting together as a unified group rather than forming smaller cliques. This approach, according to Yadav, fosters stronger bonds among team members.
"This trend started during the World Cup, where no matter the result or performance in the game, we used to sit together. We decided that we wouldn't sit in groups of 2 or 3 people but always sit together as a team. The same thing happened during this series," Suryakumar Yadav said after the match.
Ajay Jadeja, Ashish Nehra reacts to Suryakumar Yadav's bold remark
Ajay Jadeja, a cricket expert on Sony Sports Hindi, raised questions about Suryakumar Yadav's recent statement regarding team dynamics. Jadeja expressed doubt about the novelty of the approach, suggesting that previous Indian teams might have already adopted similar strategies.
“That is what you expect in a team sport. I'm just surprised that players are talking about this even today and it has been rather a change in the team that players won't sit in small groups. I don't know, did you not all sit together in previous teams? But again, the captain mentioned that he brought this change, although this is old,” Ajay Jadeja said.
Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy era has commenced with a resounding 3-0 T20I series win over Sri Lanka. This marks the beginning of his tenure as India's full-time T20I captain, a role he will hold until the 2026 T20 World Cup. The series also signifies the start of Gautam Gambhir's coaching career with the Indian team.
Ashish Nehra, another expert on the panel, echoed Jadeja's surprise at Suryakumar Yadav's statement. Nehra questioned the timing of the change, wondering why it was implemented during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Both former cricketers expressed astonishment at the revelation.
“Didn't he say that this change happened during the World Cup? That happened only a month back,” Ashish Nehra added.
“I'm not doubting him, but I'm rather surprised that this has only started now,” Ajay Jadeja responded.
India's focus now shifts to the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Led by Rohit Sharma and featuring the return of key players like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav, the series commences on Friday, August 2, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
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