India captain Suryakumar Yadav opens up on the team’s 2026 T20 World Cup preparation, selection consistency ahead of the South Africa series.
For India, this ( India vs South Africa ) series is the start of a 10-match run into the home T20 World Cup in February, but Suryakumar said the groundwork was laid long back.
“Our 2026 T20 World Cup preparation began right after we won the T20 World Cup in 2024… Our preparation is similar. The preparation started after the T20 World Cup 2024 got over. Since then, we have been trying new things and everything is working for us.”
He underlined that India’s recent success stems from consistency of selection.
“I feel in the last 5-6 series which we have played, we have tried and played with a similar combination. We have not changed too much… Everything is going well. We wanted to continue the same way.”
On the conversation around Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma, Suryakumar reiterated that flexibility is key.
“In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now, the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible… He was ready to bat at any number.“
He insisted India will not indulge in needless tinkering.
“We won’t be changing a lot of combinations. We won’t be trying too many things because things are going really well. So, we want to stick to the process…“
Asked whether Rinku Singh is still in the scheme of things, with the rise of Shivam Dube, Suryakumar said: “Dube is an all-rounder. So, him and Hardik are the all-rounders. So, you can’t compare an all-rounder.
“The thing is all the batters from 3 to 7 are capable of batting at any position.”
On the series, Suryakumar kept the goals simple.
“The plan for the series is to play good cricket… There are some things that we are doing right. So, why should we change that?”
Barabati’s red-soil pitch will be used for the first time. Suryakumar said he hasn’t inspected it yet.
“…But we will see. If it is fast, then it is a good thing.”
Asked about the dew and whether the toss could again be decisive, Suryakumar grinned as he recalled KL Rahul’s quirky change of fortune with a left-handed flip that finally snapped India’s run of 20 consecutive lost tosses in ODIs.
“I also do it with my left hand,” he laughed.
India squad for SA T20I series:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
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