Mumbai: Two days after captaining India to a T20 World Cup title, Suryakumar Yadav is slowly taking in the enormity of the achievement that has put him in august company of Kapil Dev, M S Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who too helped the team lift ICC trophies.
Soon after returning from Ahmedabad, where India won a record third T20 World Cup title on Sunday, Suryakumar reflected on the side’s successful campaign and the road ahead.
“It feels good to win 24 and 26 back-to-back. It is a very special feeling. When we won in 2024, we thought it would be so special to do this again at home in 2026,” Surya said.
“The next target is to win the Olympics gold in 2028. The team has a good momentum. If India wins the T20 World Cup in the same year, it will be great.”
On being compared to the likes of Rohit and Dhoni, he added: “It feels good to join that elite company. I am slowly feeling it. It is a very special feeling to be talked about among such great people. I will try to do the same in the future and help India win more trophies.”
Rohit was the captain when India ended an ICC trophy drought with the win in Barbados back in June 2024. Dhoni led India to victories in 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup.
Kapil Dev’s team won the 1983 ODI World Cup, the first major title for the country.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence, Suryakumar revealed that he had spoken to Dhoni ahead of the ICC event.
“I had met him (M S Dhoni) before the tournament and he told me how to approach an ICC tournament. He told me that we have a good team, we just have to be courageous and we will definitely win. His reaction after the win was amazing,” said the skipper.
The country is celebrating the win and the team too duly celebrated through the night post the final on Sunday.
“I wish I could share everything what we have done on that night after being world champions but then we had a good time we were awake till 8 AM in the morning,” Suryakumar said. He is now looking forward to the IPL beginning March 28.