Suryakumar allays concerns about Varun’s struggles

Suryakumar Yadav addresses concerns over Varun's form, emphasizing team effort and a relaxed approach ahead of the T20 final.

A Suryakumar Yadav press conference can feel a lot like watching him bat. Just when you think the line of questioning is predictable, he pulls out something unexpected. A quip here, a smirk there; it is 360-degree box office.

So, when asked for a reaction to New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner’s ‘the goal is to silence the crowd’ remark on the eve of the T20 World Cup final, Suryakumar said: “Why does everyone keep copy-pasting the same line? They need to come up with something new.”

Of course, he was referring to Pat Cummins, the charismatic Australian skipper, who had kept his word back in 2023, his side crushing Indian spirits in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Abhishek Sharma and India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav during the practice session ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup Final Match between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 7, 2026. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

Now a new-look squad has taken up the challenge to flip the script during Sunday’s showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium here. Even as the battle lines are firmly drawn in a completely different format, Suryakumar plays it cool.

“The camp is very relaxed. It’s a special feeling to lead such a wonderful side at home, and that too at such a wonderful stadium,” he said. Somewhere deep inside, he knows there are concerns. Especially those surrounding the forms of his prized World No. 1s — Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy.