‘Kyu bina matlab ka ungli karna hai?’ – Suryakumar backs winning formula as India eye Asia Cup win defense

When asked to compare captaining in a multi-nation competition to a bilateral series, Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav answered with humour. The Mumbai-born captain will lead the Men in Blue in the Asia Cup 2025, the team’s first major assignment in the shorter format since taking over from Rohit Sharma after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar stated that he saw no reason to change a winning formula, implying that the techniques used in bilateral contests were expected to deliver in high-profile tournaments as well.

He was also surprised to hear India branded as the competition’s runaway favourites. His record as India’s full-time T20I captain is remarkable, with only two defeats in 15 matches.

“Till now everything is going alright sir, toh kyu bina matlab ka ungli karna hai? (Why unnecessarily muddle?) We will continue to do and follow the same things we have done in all of the bilaterals so far. If some things are working, that means we are moving in the right direction,” Suryakumar said during the press conference ahead of Asia Cup 2025.

“Who told you this? I did not hear this. Yes, we are playing T20 cricket as a team after quite some time, but we were here early,” he added.

Will Sanju Samson play?

The right-handed batter was also asked about the possibility of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson featuring in the playing XI for the upcoming contest. He responded with a laugh before offering an assuring reply. Samson’s selection has remained a major talking point since the squad announcement, which also confirmed Shubman Gill’s return and appointment as vice-captain of the 20-over team.

“I’ll text you the playing XI. We are actually taking good care of him. Don’t worry, we will make the right decision tomorrow,” Suryakumar said.