Indian national cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav was in top form at the press conference ahead of the first match of the five-match T20I series against England, which will begin on Wednesday, January 22, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. His one-liners were the main attraction during the press conference.

Well, Suryakumar Yadav is all set to return to action for the Indian national cricket team for the first time since the home series against Bangladesh in October 2024 with the upcoming white-ball series against England. India and England will face each other in 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs.

Suryakumar Yadav opens up about his bond with Hardik Pandya

Ahead of the first T20I at Eden Gardens, the Indian skipper has shed light on his equation with Hardik Pandya, whom he chose to become the T20I captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the shortest format of the game after winning the World Cup men’s ICC T20. 2024.

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Suryakumar has insisted that there is a strong camaraderie and mutual understanding between him and Hardik Pandya. The India captain also noted that Hardik is an integral part of the team’s leadership group and said their bond has grown stronger over years of friendship.

Suryakumar Yadav said at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday (January 21) in Kolkata: “The relationship with Hardik is really great. It’s just the extra responsibility I have. Hardik is part of the leading group. “We have been good friends.”

It hurts me that he didn’t do well in ODIs: Suryakumar Yadav on ICC Champions Trophy 2025 snub

Furthermore, Suryakumar also expressed his frustration over his poor ODI numbers while addressing his exclusion from the Indian team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He acknowledged that his struggles in the format did not help him and admitted the need to improve his ODI game. .

The explosive batsman added: “It hurts me that I haven’t done well in the ODIs. That’s why I’m not in the Champions Trophy team. “If I had done it right, I would have been there.”

Meanwhile, Indian national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir is under immense pressure to deliver results following the team’s recent defeats against Australia and New Zealand. However, Suryakumar Yadav insisted that the Men in Blue are heading in the right direction under Gambhir.

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Suryakumar Yadav expresses confidence in Gautam Gambhir’s leadership ahead of T20I series

The Indian captain shared the experience of playing under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and shared that he has had the opportunity to play under Gambhir for four years.

He highlighted that Gambhir’s leadership style focuses on keeping things simple and giving players the freedom to express themselves. Suryakumar signed off saying, “I have played with Gauti bhai for four years. We are moving in the right direction. Gauti bhai keeps things simple. “It gives us a lot of freedom.”

Notably, India have a strong record against England in T20I cricket as they have won 13 of the 24 matches they have played against each other so far. The Indian team has also won the last four T20I series against England, making them favorites to win the upcoming series at home.