NEW DELHI: Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav was recently reminded of a statement by the new head coach Gautam Gambhir during a pre-match press conference ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Gambhir, recalling their time at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a decade ago, expressed regret over not fully utilizing Suryakumar’s potential.
In response, Suryakumar humorously suggested that the full potential could now be utilized.
Reflecting on their past, Gambhir had noted that the team combinations at that time did not allow for Suryakumar to be placed at the No. 3 spot, a decision he now regrets. Suryakumar played for KKR in the IPL from 2014 to 2017 under the captaincy of Gambhir, before moving to Mumbai Indians .
"A leader's biggest role is to bring out the best in a player. In my seven-year captaincy stint, if there is one regret that I have, it is the fact that we couldn't utilize the full potential of Surya. There were many reasons for it - the combination, etc. But, you can only play one batter at No. 3. As a leader, you think about the other 10 players as well," Gambhir had said in an interview with Sportskeeda.
"If Surya had batted at No. 3, he would have been a lot more effective, but he was effective at No. 7 as well," he added.
Responding to the comments, Suryakumar remarked with humor, "Toh abhi kar lenge pura potential ko use (He will utilize his full potential now)."
He praised Gambhir for his understanding and shared insights into their strong relationship as coach and captain.
"Even when I say nothing sometimes, he understands what I want. So this bond is very special between coach and captain. I am very excited for this journey ahead," Suryakumar stated.
Suryakumar, at 33, is currently leading the T20I team in Sri Lanka and has reunited with his former KKR captain with Gambhir now taking on the role of head coach of the Indian men's team. Since making his debut for India in 2021, Suryakumar has established himself as one of the top T20I batters in the world.
In 68 matches, Suryakumar has scored 2340 runs at an average of 43.33 and a strike rate of 167.74, with four hundreds and 19 fifties.
In response, Suryakumar humorously suggested that the full potential could now be utilized.
Reflecting on their past, Gambhir had noted that the team combinations at that time did not allow for Suryakumar to be placed at the No. 3 spot, a decision he now regrets. Suryakumar played for KKR in the IPL from 2014 to 2017 under the captaincy of Gambhir, before moving to Mumbai Indians .
"A leader's biggest role is to bring out the best in a player. In my seven-year captaincy stint, if there is one regret that I have, it is the fact that we couldn't utilize the full potential of Surya. There were many reasons for it - the combination, etc. But, you can only play one batter at No. 3. As a leader, you think about the other 10 players as well," Gambhir had said in an interview with Sportskeeda.
"If Surya had batted at No. 3, he would have been a lot more effective, but he was effective at No. 7 as well," he added.
Responding to the comments, Suryakumar remarked with humor, "Toh abhi kar lenge pura potential ko use (He will utilize his full potential now)."
He praised Gambhir for his understanding and shared insights into their strong relationship as coach and captain.
"Even when I say nothing sometimes, he understands what I want. So this bond is very special between coach and captain. I am very excited for this journey ahead," Suryakumar stated.
Suryakumar, at 33, is currently leading the T20I team in Sri Lanka and has reunited with his former KKR captain with Gambhir now taking on the role of head coach of the Indian men's team. Since making his debut for India in 2021, Suryakumar has established himself as one of the top T20I batters in the world.
In 68 matches, Suryakumar has scored 2340 runs at an average of 43.33 and a strike rate of 167.74, with four hundreds and 19 fifties.
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