Here’s the full transcript of India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s press conference ahead of their February 15 match against arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026.
[Reporter:]
The political build-up that happened, do you think that the magnitude of the India-Pakistan match has reduced and there will be a lot of uncertainty whether we will play or not in the future?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
No, sir. As I said before coming here, we were preparing for the fixture of the ICC for the fixture we have on 15th against Pakistan and we had a flight booked to come here and play. So we were already prepared to play four league games, third game obviously here and one going back home. So that is what we were thinking and we were only focused on preparing for what we want to do.
[Reporter:]
To play a country outside India and that too a country which has been used to the conditions here, and also there is uncertainty – first there was uncertainty of the match and now there is uncertainty of due to rain and How do you handle these pressures before an India-Pakistan match?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
See, I feel weather is something which is not in our control. In our control, the things are which we can control. That’s like playing good cricket, having good practice sessions, all of that, and we knew that we would come here, play a game. And it’s more like subcontinent conditions. We have similar kind of wickets back home in India also and we have played a lot of cricket here during bilaterals against Sri Lanka. So we are also very familiar with the conditions.
[Reporter:]
Today in the PC of Pakistan cricket captain said that they want to have Abhishek Sharma to play the game. So can you tell us, is there any update on him? How is he feeling?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
If he wants him to play, then we’ll play him tomorrow. Done
[Reporter:]
No matter how much people say, this India-Pakistan match is an expectation, there is always pressure. So, from what perspective do players see this match? There is pressure but there is also a big opportunity. So, from what perspective do players see this match?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
According to me, if you play any game, there is always pressure. And when you play an India Pak game, it’s more about the occasion. It’s a big platform, obviously. So, no matter how much you say that it’s just another game, we have to play cricket, back of the mind, human tendency is that you know which game you are going to play. And we don’t play them often as well. We don’t play them regularly. But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple. Whatever we have worked hard on, whatever we have been practicing, we try to execute it in games. And we try to place our best foot forward on the ground.
[Reporter:]
Usman Tariq – It is said that sometimes out of syllabus things come up. So, how are you seeing that? The way it is being discussed in India, about his actions, tell us about that. Secondly, when you reached the hotel yesterday, you looked very tired. Tell us, did this make any difference to you?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Look, sometimes, there is a question in the exam, out of syllabus. So we can’t leave that question. To tackle that, you have to try something. You have to adopt your own way. And we try the same way. Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl, but at the same time we cannot just surrender to him. We practice with similar type of bowlers and similar actions and we will try to execute what we are practicing in net sessions. And I don’t know when you saw us at night and saw us tired. We were very excited at night.
[Reporter:]
There’s been a slight interesting trend in India’s bowling strategy, especially in the power play in Asia Cup. Bumrah used to bowl three overs in the power play, now he bowls one minimum, just one exactly. Is that just like you trying to test more bowlers or keeping your options open or is there a plan you have which you won’t reveal?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
No, no it’s completely fine. There’s no such like anything like a big plan or something but I want to be different on every given day. I don’t want to go with a set plan when I am going with this wonderful bowling unit. I want to have my plans different on each different day, different games. And when you go on the ground, take a field in a game, what comes in your mind at that time? I think that is more important than thinking about what has worked before and what could go really well if I bowl Bumrah or any other bowler in the powerplay. If he has to bowl three overs, he might bowl three overs. If he has to bowl an over and then bowl three overs later on. If it works on a given day, we will use the bowlers like that.
[Reporter:]
Last match Pakistan played five spinners and only one pacer. And also there has been a lot of talk in the build-up about Pakistan’s spin attack which looks very good. Your thoughts on that and secondly can you give an update on Washington Sundar, is he completely fit to play?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
See Washington, obviously he’s joined the team, he joined the team in Delhi that means he’s been cleared by COE so he’s ready and good to go. And about the spinners? I feel, yeah, I mean, they have been doing well, obviously, with their bowling line-up and with their combinations. But yes, we do have definitely some plans to try and tackle them when we play them tomorrow and we also have a similar kind of set up when we go and play. But I don’t know, we’ve just now seen the wicket, looks good, looks very good and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
You came with a lot of collective batting form into this series after South Africa and after New Zealand. What do you make of how the batters have gone in the first two games? I know they are not pitches that you might have expected, a little bit out of character, but how do you assess India’s batting in these first two games?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I feel we had a little scratchy start, yes. You can’t run away from the fact that it was not a proper T20 wicket. But I said in the post-match as well that you can’t actually brush everything under the carpet. There’s no excuse because everyone has played a lot of cricket. So batters I think should be brave in taking their own calls, have their own plans on batting on a difficult or not a difficult wicket but a tricky T20 wicket. But in the second game we were really good, we came back very strong, had a good power play. But then still we had a little bit of lump in between. But then we covered it well. So that’s the beauty of T20 cricket. One or two batters, I think, taking that responsibility, being brave, showing character, I think, makes us cross the line.
[Reporter:]
Normally in these conditions, we talk about India vs Pakistan spinners. What is the role of fast bowlers? Because traditionally, we have seen in this field, under-flood lights, Indian fast bowlers have bowled well. So as captain, how will you settle the debate – Between an extra spinner and an extra fast bowler?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
It’s very difficult to decide which fast bowler to play. How many fast bowlers and spinners to play. Because All the fast bowlers in the squad, Bumrah, Arshdeep and Siraj, all of them are good fast bowlers and all the spinners are good. So, it’s very difficult to pick. But the combination that has worked for us before, like when we played the Asia Cup, there was a similar type of wicket, a bigger ground. This is also a similar bigger ground, but the wicket will be better from there. So I feel similar type of combinations will be played here. But it’s a good headache and a very difficult call to give a break to a fast bowler or a good spinner and play an extra batsman.
[Reporter:]
Game is more important, but personally, it was nice to see both the teams here, but obviously, there will be a shake-hand tomorrow. Will it happen or not? What do you say?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Wait for 24 hours for that. Why are you highlighting that? We are here to play cricket we will play good cricket we will take all those calls later tomorrow wait for it, eat well and sleep well we will see tomorrow.
[Reporter:]
Your record in T20 against Pakistan is very good. So will this thing give you advantage in tomorrow’s important match or will it increase the pressure that you have to win?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
No, look sir, it is like this. Whenever you play a fresh game, you have to start from zero. You can’t carry the past or the history of the game on the ground. Because sometimes, it creates a little complacency. You go a little ahead of the game. If you want to stay in control and have a relaxed mind, then it’s important to start fresh. And I think this is the best approach for us. When we take the ground tomorrow, and see it as a fresh game, a normal league game, which we have come to play in the T20 World Cup, then you stay in the present, you take good calls, and you also stay relaxed.
[Reporter:]
Suriya, after a long time that before an India and Pakistan match, a lot has been said about spinners. I mean, spin has been the talking point. So on this wicket, where you are going to play tomorrow, we saw in the last match on this wicket, the Zimbabwe’s fast bowlers took 4 wickets of Australia’s top order in the first spell itself. So it helps the fast bowlers. So how much flexibility matters that you have to go according to the condition? I know you don’t want to break the winning combination, but how to balance this flexibility versus maintaining and winning?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I think flexibility is very important in this format. Like I have said about batting order earlier, Even at the same time, flexibility is very important in bowling. If a match-up is good against a bowler in a game, you should play the bowler. If the match-up is good against another bowler in the next game, you should play them. This is not a bilateral tournament or a franchise cricket. In that you get some time for a comeback but in this you don’t get time for a comeback. So you have to take that tough call on the day. If someone has done well, you have to make them understand. And in our team, everyone is sensible. Everyone understands. Everyone is equally aligned towards a goal. But yes, as you rightly said, it’s a difficult call to take.
[Reporter:]
Kuldeep has a good record against Pakistan.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Do you want him to play? Okay, let’s make him play.
[Reporter:]
You said you’ll make Kuldeep play. A lot of people were worried about Abhishek. He didn’t play in the last match. Because of his problem – So are all your worries are over? Abhishek Sharma will play? And second thing, the atmosphere during the Asia Cup, outside the field, and now in the World Cup, has the atmosphere changed in these 4-5 months?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Look, someone said – that the opposing team’s captain said, it’ll be good if Abhishek Sharma plays. So I said, let’s make him play. So I say the same thing, let’s play him. No problem.
But the environment starts from the dressing room, from the players, from inside, from the bus. What you see on the ground is a by-product. How we spend time in the practice session, we go to watch a movie together, we eat together. We spend a good time. But the environment is very good. It’s the same atmosphere.
[Reporter:]
The environment outside
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I don’t know what the atmosphere is like outside cricket. I am not on that platform. What are you talking about? But the atmosphere is very good in the team.
[Reporter:]
Captain, whether it’s Mumbai’s pitch or Delhi’s pitch, the pitch was on a tricky side. The same is going to happen here. The kind of India’s template under your captaincy is all gun blazing. Do you think adaptability will be a key in this match, big boundaries, most likely 4 or 5 spinners?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Absolutely. See, no matter which format you play—T20, One Day, or Test—I think adapting to the situation is key for any batter or any bowler. So I feel that, yes, the boundaries are big, and we’ll have to be a little smart in how we tackle the conditions. We’ve come here earlier to play, so we know the conditions really well. It’s a big ground, that’s fine. But at the same time, we know the kind of cricket we want to play. We’ve seen two different kinds of games in the last two matches, so we know which areas we need to tighten up and where we need to bat really well.
[Reporter:]
You have broken the suspense on Abhishek and on handshake will you break the suspense because captain Salman Ali Agha said that it would have been great to go back to the old times. So if you can break the suspense on that.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I will break the suspense tomorrow. Wait for 24 hours, I just told him, we will play a good game and then after that. What is important right now, the game? Let’s play first –
About the toss we will see when it happens.
[Reporter:]
Sir, good to see you in your recent form, coming back. Your previous performance against Pakistan was not that good. So what’s your strategy to encounter the formidable pace attack and the spin attack of Pakistan.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
There is no new strategy, sir. Let everything continue as it is. It’s good. Obviously, I would like to make runs and win the game. But at the same time, what has been working for me and also for the team we just want to stick to it and continue that.
[Reporter:]
Like you said during the Asia cup, you don’t feel this is a rivalry anymore. To be really honest, even I don’t feel the same depth that we saw in our childhood. Do you feel the same way about the opposition in the World Cup? Is it not the same thing that used to take the rivalry factor to the top? It’s history, there are political tensions, that’s why the atmosphere is like this. There is a huge difference in both the cricket teams. India is at the top. Pakistan is not there yet.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
No, look, how it is now is that there too, they were playing good cricket in the Asia Cup. And here too, we are playing good cricket. But at the same time, we also have to see how we are playing cricket. For the last year, we have also been playing good cricket. And we will try to continue the same. Because when you leave your strength and start thinking about other people’s games, you forget everything about yourself. I have explained the same to everyone. At the end of the day, again, we are here to play some good cricket. We will play good cricket and the one who plays good cricket, the result will be on his side.
[Reporter:]
My question was slightly similar only. As a captain, as somebody who reads the game and watches other players, other teams, What is your assessment of this current Pakistani team? Like when you watch them, what is it that comes to your mind?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
See, that’s what I said just now. Okay, I think they’ve been playing some good cricket recently, what I saw in the last two games. I didn’t see any series before that. But then I’ve heard a lot, they’re playing some good cricket. Also, playing here, they have a little bit of advantage but then that’s okay we’ve also played a lot of cricket here and we’ve come here in different conditions, we played our cricket as well. So we just want to stick to what we want to do and not focus about anything else.
[Reporter:]
Surya, in the last 7-8 matches, we have seen that our opening is getting a little weak. So, because you are getting better, Kishan is also playing well, Pandya and everyone else is getting good support, but in the opening, you are getting beaten up a little. So, will you adjust Samson a little more or do you want to change something in the opening?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Sir this is such a format, it is high risk, high reward, because if you want to achieve something, you have to take a little more risk for the team. Now in taking that risk if someone from the top order gets out also, that’s okay. there are so many to take care of each other in the batting order.
[Reporter:]
Such a blockbuster game, do you think handling the pressure is more important or playing brave cricket is more important?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I think it can be a mix of both, sir. Yes, there will be pressure. As I rightly said, you can’t run away from the fact that there won’t be any pressure. Yes, there will be pressure, there will be nerves, butterflies in the stomach when we start the game tomorrow. But yeah, at the same time, there is no pressure, there is no nerves, there is no fun to play cricket. And yeah, it’s a big occasion. Yes, definitely. But yeah, I mean, every time I say the same thing, at the end of the day, it’s just another game. You have to back your skills, play some good cricket, focus on what you want to do better, and we’ll see what happens.
[Reporter:]
India has a very balanced squad with equal talent in the spin department as well as the pace department. Now, Surya, what happens to be a bigger pain point or a challenge for you in terms of finalising the 11 because it’s very difficult to keep someone out, you have to keep the conditions in consideration as well. How do you take that call along with GG?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I think it’s a good headache to have lovely spinners, fast bowlers and so many batters who can give you one or two overs also on a given day. But then you have to respect the conditions. You have to see how the wicket is going to play. As I rightly said, we have played here before. So we know the conditions really well. Ground is big. So what combinations we want to play, it’s like whatever works for you on that given day, just play it. And even if someone does well and we go to the next destination and we need someone else to come in like a fast bowler or another batter to come in we might have to do that.
[Reporter:]
Surya you said that we don’t play against Pakistan regularly, so this is a big occasion. So what does Surya Kumar Yadav himself thinks that regular matches should be played against Pakistan? Because fans want this – whether we are talking to Indian fans or Pakistani fans. Second, please add, from the perspective of Pakistan, which pair is like that because in T20, one player makes a huge difference in the match. So, from the perspective of Pakistan, which player do you think can change the match?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I think if you play 6-7 batters in T20 cricket, then whoever plays 1 or 2 batters, can turn the game. If I take someone’s name and he doesn’t make a run tomorrow, then it can be a problem for you. But if we play 6-7 batters, if we play 2-3 batters in this format, then I think it’s more than enough. And like you asked me earlier, we don’t play regular matches, that’s not in my hands. When I will be in that position, I will tell you whether I should play those matches or not.
[Reporter:]
Surya, ever since you have become the captain of this T20 side, I mean India have taken a completely different template, especially as far as batting is concerned. It’s very high intensity. But over the last few matches at this venue, the way pitches are played, slow and low, even yesterday Australia struggled to chase down 169 and that ball was not coming onto the bat. Do you think a bit of tweak is required if the conditions stay the same, a bit of tweak in the approach is required for tomorrow’s game?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I feel talking about this team, we started playing this kind of cricket this brand of cricket Under Rohit in 2024 T20 World Cup and maybe little before that when we play T20 World Cup And then from there after that when GG took over Gauti gave us a lot of freedom because he also knows, he’s also played this game before, he’s been there, faced this pressure, so he knows how much risk is involved in this format and he’s given us full freedom to back our game, not to change our identity. So that is the best thing which has been infused in this team. And also – I mean see, it depends on what conditions you get on a given day. We played enough cricket; all the batters have a lot of experience. If it’s a tricky wicket, we need to find a solution right there, right at the same time and then take a call because two batters batting inside are the best judge of the conditions who can take a call and move the game ahead.
[Reporter:]
Pakistan has been acclimatised, having been here for more than a fortnight, but they will be playing here for the first time. The conditions will be as new to them as to you. Do you think is there an advantage still for them?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
I don’t feel there’s an added advantage. Yes, the team has not been traveling here and there, but at the same time they have been moving around in different, different cities and playing the game. So I think, and as I rightly said, we have come here before, we have played these conditions, we know how the pitch plays, similar conditions to India, not too far from India also. So it’s like a same, same situation for both the teams.
[Reporter:]
When you played last year, Sri Lanka won a series against India after 27 years, I think.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Sharp memory, huh?
[Reporter:]
Yeah. I mean, we have to remember, no? So then how do you feel because you struggled against the Sri Lankan spinners at Premadasa Stadium. So what you have learned from that?
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
But which format that was?
[Reporter:]
That was the ODI series but then after…
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
But we are playing a T20 format. You’re not saying we won this T20 series in Kandy?
[Reporter:]
But I think the last T20 series also played here during COVID, I think India lost.
[Surya Kumar Yadav:]
Because people were down with COVID. See, it’s definitely challenging when you come to Sri Lanka. Yes, it’s a subcontinent, but at the same time, pitches are a little different, not too different from India. And when spinners bowled really well, at that time, all the best spinners were playing. And now also, I think it’s almost a similar sight. But then at the end of the day, you have to challenge yourself.
