Suryakumar Yadav credits Rohit, Gambhir ahead of T20 WC final

India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday highlighted the influence of former captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir on his leadership style, while also sharing India's approach ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand on Sunday. Speaking during the pre-match press conference, the Indian captain said that he had learned many things from Rohit Sharma, who won two ICC white-ball titles as a captain.

"It was not difficult. The way, where he left [Rohit Sharma], I got to learn a lot of things from him when I was playing under him. So, I also followed the same strategy, going into the dressing room with the experience of Gauti Bhai. Obviously, his experience was also very vital. And where he left in 2024, I have played a lot of cricket with him. I know how he worked. So, I tried to implement the same things with a few thoughts of mine as well. And it has worked really well. Hopefully, it's going really well," Suryakumar said.

The Indian captain also reflected on the challenge of facing New Zealand in the title clash, emphasising focus and preparation over reacting to the opposition. "I mean, everyone obviously is very, very excited to play the final tomorrow. New Zealand have been one of the sides who have been very tactical, as you rightly said. They come with a good plan, obviously. But then we also have our plans. We've been preparing for such a big stage. So we'll be completely focused on what we want to do rather than what others think about our team. And just play good cricket. That's it," he said.

Team India is aiming to defend its title at home and become the first side ever to win a T20 World Cup in front of the home crowd.

Squads:

New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(captain), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)