Suryakumar Yadav, who captained India to T20 World Cup title in 2026, revealed the valuable advice he received from former India captain MS Dhoni ahead of the tournament.
Dhoni, who famously led India to the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup 2007 triumph, had met Suryakumar before the start of the competition and shared some key guidance on handling the pressure of a global event.
Speaking after India’s title-winning campaign, Suryakumar said Dhoni’s words played an important role in boosting his confidence as captain heading into the tournament.
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“His reaction was amazing. I met him before the tournament. He had advised me on how to play in ICC tournaments. He had told me that we have a fantastic team and we just need to play courageously. Victory would be ours,” Yadav stated as reported by PTI.
The next goal ahead
The Indian skipper also spoke about the team’s ambitions going forward, highlighting the goal of continuing their success in upcoming global events.
“That is our next goal – to win Olympic gold for India in 2028. T20 World Cup will be held the same year, so we will make all efforts to make a T20 hat-trick,” he said.
Cricket will return to the Olympic stage at the 2028 Summer Olympics, with the T20 format set to be played in Los Angeles. With a strong pool of T20 stars and recent global success, India is expected to be among the favourites to chase the historic Olympic gold medal.
India lifted the coveted trophy after defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The victory helped India successfully defend the title and become the first team in the history of the T20 World Cup to retain the championship.
With the win, India also became the first side to claim the T20 World Cup title three times, further strengthening its legacy as one of the most successful teams in the shortest format of the game.
Following the historic triumph, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a cash reward of INR 131 crore for the entire Indian contingent. The prize money will be distributed among the 15 players, coaching staff and other members of the support staff.
