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Suryakumar Yadav opens up on how Gautam Gambhir has eliminated the concept of private milestones from the team.
Suryakumar Yadav (left) says Gautam Gambhir values every little contribution. (PTI Photo)
‘Unka bas chale toh wahi pad pehen kar aa jayein!’
So said Suryakumar Yadav, on a lighter note, as he took the witty path to sum up India head coach Gautam Gambhir‘s passion and drive ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup final. Addressing the media ahead of the title clash against Latest Zealand, the India T20I skipper appeared in a jovial mood, as he often does – continuing to crack jokes and brush aside concerns while explaining how Gambhir has modified the outlook of the team: he values every little contribution and has removed the concept of private milestones.
Gambhir has often expressed his displeasure at highlighting individual performances in a team’s success. Social media trolls have twisted his misgivings about celebrating individual success in a team sport. Nevertheless, the two-time World Cup winner has stuck to his guns.
And if Suryakumar is to be believed, Gambhir has managed to alter the mindset of India’s T20I players too.
“Unka (Gambhir) bas chale toh wahi pad pehen kar aa jayein!” (If it were as much as him, he’d pad up and bat), Suryakumar told reporters in Ahmedabad on Saturday. “His mantra has been the identical since he played and won the World Cups for India: this can be a sport where everyone’s contribution matters. You don’t win tournaments due to one or two players.”
“For those who look from the beginning – say the Zimbabwe (Super 8) game – every player contributed. Then against West Indies, and even within the semifinal, it was the identical story. That’s all the time the main target. In a team sport, especially within the batting department, every batter’s contribution is crucial. The important thing thing is he has removed the concept of private milestones from the team. Nobody focuses much on that anymore – it’s a team game,” Suryakumar added.
Surya said that for Gambhir every knock – big or small – carries value.
“For instance, within the last game (vs England within the semifinal), Tilak (Varma) scored 21 off 7 balls. A knock like that—and even 8 off 5—may be as beneficial as a 50 or a 100. We won that game by 7 runs, so someone scoring 7 or 10 runs in three or 4 balls may need made the difference. That’s the mindset he focuses on. Nothing is more necessary than the team goal,” he said.
This concentrate on the team moderately than the person, Suryakumar says, has created positivity within the dressing room and aligned everyone towards chasing the identical goal.
“If the team needs someone to hit a six off the primary ball, the batter should go for it. If it requires a special approach, he should play that way. That’s the idea behind this team. It spreads positivity and creates a greater environment—because if you start occupied with the team moderately than yourself, everyone finally ends up chasing the identical goal,” he said.
March 08, 2026, 09:34 IST
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