India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, right, and Ishan Kishan. (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav has revealed that one of the biggest selection calls of the tournament — choosing Ishan Kishan over Jitesh Sharma — was largely driven by instinct rather than pure numbers. The skipper admitted the decision was tough but insisted his gut feeling told him Kishan could be the “X-factor” India needed on the big stage.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suryakumar said the call was a delicate balance between data and intuition. “It was completely on gut, little bit on data. It was very harsh on Jitesh Sharma at that time because he was playing with the team for over a year. Had he not been playing, then the story would have been different,” he said in a podcast interview with PTI Videos.

The captain revealed that the turning point came during a direct conversation with Kishan. “I called him and asked, ‘Chhotu, World Cup jitayega?’ He asked, ‘Bharosa karogey?’ I said, ‘Chal kiya.’ And the way he played was amazing,” Suryakumar recalled. “I always knew he could be the X-factor because he has no baggage.”Kishan justified that faith in style during the tournament, scoring 317 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of over 190 while opening the innings and batting at No. 3. His tally was the fourth-highest in the competition as India lifted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the second consecutive time, following their triumph under Rohit Sharma in 2024.Suryakumar also highlighted Kishan’s determination to fight his way back into the national setup after a difficult phase. “He was going through a bad patch and had been out of the team for a while. But he travelled across India playing practice matches and smaller games just to stay ready,” he said.Another tactical call that proved decisive was the inclusion of Sanju Samson at the top of the order. According to Suryakumar, Samson’s arrival changed the momentum of India’s campaign. “After Sanju got included, the tide completely changed. It was also tactical because we had too many left-handers at the top and opposition off-spinners were finding it easy.”Samson responded with match-winning performances, including scores of 89 in both the semifinal and final, eventually earning the Player of the Tournament award.Reflecting on his own approach, Suryakumar described T20 batting as largely instinctive. “It’s a reaction-driven sport. Around 70 to 75 per cent of batting is reaction and the rest is instinct. On a given day, you just assess what the situation demands and bat accordingly,” he said.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav with his teammates. (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav believes the country’s talent pool in the shortest format has grown so vast that multiple international-quality teams could be formed at the same time — a reflection of the depth created by domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suryakumar said the current generation of players represents perhaps the strongest T20 group India has produced, highlighting how franchise cricket and domestic competitions continue to produce new stars every season.“If you talk about talent, I feel you can find talent regularly. There is IPL cricket, franchise cricket, then there is domestic cricket. You can see how many players come every year,” Suryakumar said in a podcast interview with PTI Videos.

“So I feel talent is unlimited. If you can make two-three playing XIs, our base is so strong, of the Indian team. So this is not a modest and diplomatic reply. But now it is so strong, so there is no shame in telling the truth.”Since taking over the captaincy after Rohit Sharma stepped down following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados, Suryakumar has overseen a period of remarkable success. Under his leadership, India have won 42 of their 52 T20 Internationals, establishing themselves as one of the most dominant sides in the format.The 35-year-old credited the team’s impressive run to a collective mindset within the dressing room.“I don’t pay too much attention to statistics but I hate losing any game. If everyone in the dressing room moves in the same direction, only then can you achieve such a percentage,” he said, referring to India’s near 80 per cent win rate.Known for his innovative 360-degree strokeplay, Suryakumar also described T20 batting as largely instinctive and reactive once a player steps onto the field.“I feel batting is about 70–75 per cent reaction. The remaining 25 per cent is instinct, what you decide to do in the moment. Once you enter the ground, you are almost in autopilot mode. You try to bat with rhythm and according to the situation,” he explained.Suryakumar also highlighted his strong working relationship with India head coach Gautam Gambhir, revealing how closely aligned their thinking has been while building the current squad.“Out of 15 names we both suggested, 14 were common. That means the thinking was the same. When the goals are clear, there are no arguments, only discussions,” he said.

Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Agency Image)

Virat Kohli has picked his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammate Chris Gayle ahead of Rohit Sharma while choosing the best opener in T20 cricket during a recent “This or That” challenge.In a video shared by RCB on Sunday, Kohli was asked to select between two players at a time while identifying the greatest opener in the shortest format. The former RCB captain first opted for Adam Gilchrist over Sunil Narine.The next comparison was between Gilchrist and Travis Head, and Kohli picked the Australian left-hander, explaining that his choice was specifically for T20 cricket. When Head was then put up against Virender Sehwag, Kohli switched to the former India opener.The comparisons continued with Sehwag facing Sachin Tendulkar, but Kohli again selected Sehwag, noting that in the T20 format he would still favour the aggressive opener.The challenge eventually reached its final choice between Rohit and Gayle. After pausing briefly, Kohli decided to go with the West Indies legend as his pick for the best T20 opener.Gayle’s record in the format backs up his reputation. The former West Indies national cricket team opener remains the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, having amassed 14,562 runs in 455 innings across all T20 competitions. In the Indian Premier League, he scored 4,965 runs in 142 matches.Gayle also holds the record for the highest individual score in IPL history. Playing for RCB against Pune Warriors India in 2013, he produced an unbeaten 175, a knock that still stands as the tournament’s best.Rohit, meanwhile, has enjoyed a remarkable career in the shortest format as well. The former India captain has scored 4,231 runs in 159 T20I matches and 151 innings, while in the IPL he has accumulated 7,046 runs from 272 matches and 267 innings.Kohli himself will soon return to action for RCB when the defending champions begin their Indian Premier League 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.

India coach Gautam Gambhir (Getty Images)

Former chief selector Sandeep Patil has revealed that Gautam Gambhir has never spoken to him since the day he was dropped from the Indian team, despite the two appearing together at several events over the years.Gambhir, a key member of India’s World Cup-winning squads in 2007 and 2011, was one of the most influential players in the national side between 2006 and 2012. Although his final international appearance came in November 2016, the first major setback in his career arrived three years earlier when he was left out of the ODI squad after the series against England in 2013.

Statistically, Gambhir’s performances during that phase were far from poor. In the final 25 ODIs he played for India, the left-hander struck two centuries and six half-centuries. However, the selectors decided to move on, and the decision effectively ended his limited-overs career. He featured only occasionally in Tests afterwards, playing two matches in England in 2014 and two more against New Zealand before his international journey gradually came to an end.Speaking on the Vickey Lalwani show, Patil admitted that the decision was one of several tough calls his selection panel had to take during that period. The former chairman explained that personal relationships could not influence such decisions, even when it involved some of the biggest names in Indian cricket.“When you are sitting in the chair of the selection committee, you are responsible for making some big calls. You’re not looking at your friendships/rapport with players. I’ve shared a good rapport with Sachin since he was 14. He has played under me, with me. Whenever I text him, he replies immediately. I met Yuvraj recently on the flight; very cordial. Even Virender Sehwag. They all talk to me nicely. Except Gambhir. He was very dear to me. Even today, I respect him a lot, but he is upset with me, and rightly so. Even I was upset with the selection committee when I got dropped. I scored a 100 in Pakistan, the highest at Kotla against England in both innings and got dropped. Never played Test cricket again,” Patil said.Gambhir’s exclusion opened the door for Shikhar Dhawan, who grabbed the opportunity in spectacular fashion. Dhawan made a memorable Test debut against Australia in Mohali, smashing a blistering 187. He later formed a highly successful opening partnership with Rohit Sharma in both ODIs and T20Is, while Gambhir gradually drifted away from the national setup.The left-hander continued to remain active in franchise cricket, representing Kolkata Knight Riders before finishing his IPL career with Delhi Capitals. In 2018, he officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.Even years after the decision, Patil admitted that Gambhir still maintains his distance whenever their paths cross.“Gambhir is still upset. He has never spoken to me. We have come together on so many different shows. We’ve sat in the same room, but Gautam has never even looked at me. It’s fine. Every time I reached out to him or said a ‘Hi’, he has never responded. Not even a glance. But that’s fair enough,” added Patil.Reflecting on their earlier bond, Patil said Gambhir was once very close to him and regularly stayed in touch, especially during difficult phases of his career.“He was such a great guy. We played tennis together on tours; we’ve had such a great rapport. Gauti used to call me almost once every two weeks when I was removed as a coach. He is like that. Gautam was very serious about his career and remained focused on his batting and approach. No cricketer wants to leave the stage when you’re doing well. Nobody wants to get dropped. Laxman, Dravid quietly went away. Sehwag wanted to have a good celebration but didn’t get it. So I get it.”

India’s Hardik Pandya celebrates with the trophy after India won the T20 World Cup (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: “This was about redemption, making my fifth comeback…”All-rounder Hardik Pandya is known for living life king-size which often dominates the limelight. However, this iconic statement following India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph truly defines the core of his character. A man who has faced numerous challenges and overcome them with sheer willpower, pulling off one comeback after another. Even the strongest of souls would have been mentally shattered after being booed and jeered left, right and centre by home fans in packed stadiums across India. Hardik felt the full force of such mind-numbing fury after replacing Rohit Sharma as MI captain in IPL 2024.While many would have lashed out under such negativity, the all-rounder responded with sublime on-field performances, winning over critics. “There was a lot of difficulty, a lot of things had happened,” admitted Hardik while discussing the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, highlighting the personal toll. However, battling it out and emerging stronger is the only choice for mentality warriors like the Team India all-rounder.

Focus on high-intent, going back to the basicsHardik had developed a reputation of being ‘Mr. Reliable’ under pressure for Team India over the years, finishing off crucial games like the Asia Cup 2022 group stage match against Pakistan. However, not content with resting on his laurels, the 32-year-old all-rounder chose to develop extremely high-impact gameplay which could enable him to smash sixes from the first ball. The first signs of such an aggressive approach were visible nearly a year before the T20 World Cup 2026 in IPL 2025 where he recorded a strike rate of 163.50, as compared to 143.05 and 136.76 in the 2024 and 2023 editions of the tournament, respectively.Following the initial success, Hardik further decided to return back to his roots during a 10-day window before the Asia Cup 2025, indulging in intense sessions with his childhood coach Jitendra Singh in Baroda. Not only this, the all-rounder further put in the hard yards at Bangalore’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), with a strong desire to dominate the opposition across departments.“We worked on some technical aspects, developing a framework for high-impact gameplay which was visible in his performances from that point. Training sessions lasted from 5 PM to 12 AM, with 10 out of 10 intensity and absolutely no compromise. Hardik always had the ability to smash the ball but his role changed during the captaincy stint at GT due to the emphasis on batting with responsibility. The switch back to MI transformed his approach yet again,” said Jitendra during an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com.“When we play the game for a long time, focus sometimes shifts from the basics. We went back to that during this rare window which improved things to a major extent. There was specific focus towards being capable enough to smash the ball right from the first delivery,” he added.Controlling emotions, aggression Hardik’s new approach soon worked wonders during the home T20I series against South Africa, where he finished as the third-highest run-getter with 142 runs in four matches at a strike rate of 186.84. One of his most noteworthy performances came in the series’ final T20I in Ahmedabad where the big-hitter smashed 63(25) at a strike rate of 252.The all-rounder maintained the same intent in a T20I series against New Zealand which followed soon after. However, Hardik’s run tally witnessed a slump, accumulating 69 runs in five matches, resulting in Jitendra encouraging him to control his emotions and aggression while batting.As constant refining in approach wiped away chinks, the Team India cricketer entered T20 World Cup 2026 high on intent and eager to strike big. Hardik smashed 217 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 160.74, recording two quick-fire fifties. The all-rounder’s prowess especially stood out in the must-win match against Zimbabwe, where he smashed an unbeaten 23-ball 50.Hardik further accounted for nine dismissals, stepping up in high-pressure situations. The 32-year-old cricketer shattered the momentum of the English chase in the semifinal, conceding just nine runs in the 19th over with the crucial dismissal of Sam Curran. Jitendra kept chipping in with inputs during the tournament, helping Hardik retain momentum. ‘New Year conversation on winning T20 WC’ “After Barbados, I had said that whichever trophy I play for, I will win. I didn’t say that just to say it, I believe it,” shared the all-rounder following the final in Ahmedabad.Hardik’s mental process behind executing this belief into reality with regard to T20 World Cup 2026, began in Lucknow back in December 2025. “India were set to face South Africa in a T20I on December 17. We had long and detailed discussions at that point about how to excel at cricket as well as other aspects of life. That interaction helped Hardik develop great clarity and enhanced his mindset further,” shared Jitendra.“He agreed to implement a lot of things because of which a new version of Hardik was created. Someone who just wants to win as many ICC trophies as possible. We had extremely close conversations after several years, granting him mental peace and clarity that he is on the right track,” added Hardik’s childhood coach.The 32-year-old cricketer followed up the discussions with phone calls to Jitendra on December 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026. “Hardik said, ‘Coach, I want to win the World Cup’. I responded, ‘Follow the path we discussed and the result will be in your favour’. Hardik was extremely determined,” stated Jitendra.Infused with energy and deep ambition, the all-rounder decided to play two 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) matches despite being rested, to maintain sharpness. One of those fixtures included a game against Vidarbha where he smashed a 92-ball 133, including five sixes in an over. ‘Only winning with Mahieka’ Hardik dedicated the T20 World Cup 2026 triumph to his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma, sharing that winning has been the sole focus following her arrival into his life. Jitendra believes that Hardik’s happiness off-field has played a massive role in his success.“I first met her before the Asia Cup in Baroda. Hardik called me specifically to meet Mahieka and told her, ‘Speak to coach. He knows everything about me’,” shared the all-rounder’s childhood coach. “Then, he asked me, ‘How is she?’. I said, ‘She is very nice, humble, has good knowledge and very stable'” he added.Hardik has expressed a desire to win at least 10 trophies in the next 10 years. The historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph could well mark the beginning to an incredible run.

NEW DELHI: When Sanju Samson walked out to open midway through the tournament, few could have predicted that he would end up scripting one of the most remarkable turnarounds in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history. But for India spin legend Anil Kumble, Samson’s performances in the knockout stages reflected a rare blend of two of India’s greatest modern batters — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!After spending the first half of the tournament on the bench, Samson was drafted into the XI as an opener ahead of the decisive Super 8 clash against the West Indies. The Kerala batter responded with an unbeaten 97 in what was effectively a virtual knockout in Kolkata, before producing back-to-back 89s in the semi-final and the final to power India’s title-winning run.

The explosive streak saw Samson break several records, including the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final. He also joined Kohli as the only Indians to score fifties in both the semi-final and final of the same World Cup edition, while finishing with a staggering 321 runs in just five innings — the most by an Indian in a single edition of the tournament.For Kumble, the numbers told only part of the story.“If you look at the previous World Cup in 2024, it had Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both are great players, very difficult to replace them,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo. “I think Samson is a combination of Kohli and Rohit, in a sense.”ALSO READ: ‘Stop celebrating milestones’: Gambhir’s strong message after India’s T20 WC triumphKumble explained that Samson displayed Kohli’s calculated control when the situation demanded patience, while also unleashing Rohit-like aggression when the momentum needed to shift.“When it required a little bit of Kohli, where you just plan and ensure that you don’t lose wickets,” he said. “And then whenever you need to accelerate in the powerplay, you want to take on the bowlers — like Rohit.”Even while anchoring the innings, Samson did not compromise on his natural flair. As India became the first team to smash 100 sixes in a single World Cup edition, Samson accounted for 24 of them — the most by any batter in the tournament.