The final of the T20 World Cup 2026 between India and New Zealand is to be played on Sunday. Team India will defend its title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team became champion by defeating South Africa in the title match of the last T20 World Cup. Now it has a chance to become the first team to become champion for the second consecutive time.

This may be the biggest day in the career of Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav but he did not give up his funny style. In the press conference held before the final, when Surya was asked whether it was difficult to fill Rohit Sharma’s place, he replied smilingly, ‘Sir, the shoes are mine, I am just following in his footsteps.’

Learned a lot from Rohit – Surya

Surya further answered the question seriously and said that he has learned a lot from Rohit’s captaincy. The Indian captain said, ‘I got to learn a lot from him when I was playing with him. So I tried to adopt the same strategy and the same basic principles. I tried to add my own style to it and it has worked quite well.

There will be pressure in the final

Suryakumar admitted that it is natural to feel pressure in a big match like the final. He said, ‘There will definitely be pressure on me as captain but there is equally excitement because the opportunity to play the World Cup final does not come again and again, that too in India.’ This final of the T20 World Cup against New Zealand is the result of the journey of the last two years for Surya.

He said, ‘We have been preparing for this platform for a long time. This journey started two years ago and now we have returned to the same stadium where we left it in 2023. Hopefully we will play good cricket and show courage even in difficult situations.

What did Surya say on the atmosphere of the team?

When asked about the atmosphere in the dressing room and the advice he gives to young players, Surya jokingly said, ‘They don’t let me speak much in the dressing room. They go on their own terms. I have seen that when he gets freedom, his personality looks completely different on the field.

He said, ‘After 5-6 months of captaincy, I was able to fully connect with this team. Then I realized that there was no point in becoming like an elder brother or a father. You have to leave them open. Only then can you get the best performance from them.

According to Surya, the team is like a bouquet, in which every flower has its own beauty and place. He said laughingly, ‘Every player has his own ability and strength. It’s not that I didn’t say anything to anyone. I have talked to the players. But the number of those who feel that I have given them leeway is now greater than before. Now I don’t interfere much.