Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has praised Suryakumar Yadav’s tenure as Team India’s T20I captain, attributing its success to his strong rapport with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The duo shares a long-standing connection, dating back to Suryakumar’s time under Gambhir’s captaincy at KKR in the IPL.
Suryakumar took over as India’s T20I skipper following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The decision initially faced skepticism, as all-rounder Hardik Pandya was passed over for the role.
However, under Suryakumar’s leadership, India has thrived, securing series victories against Bangladesh, South Africa, and Sri Lanka in recent months. Karthik believes that his strong understanding with Gambhir has played a key role in his captaincy success.
“He’s been very good. So far, he has got a lot of tactical things right. I thought there will be a problem if they don’t play two fast bowlers, but they’ve done really well.”
”Hardik has come in and bowled nicely, and the spinners have dominated through the middle. I do think he is someone who is very very comfortable with Gambhir. They have a nice equation,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
Dinesh Karthik Calls for Better Communication on Mohammed Shami’s Recovery
Mohammed Shami recently marked his international return in the third T20I against England in Rajkot. His recovery journey was challenging, plagued by multiple setbacks and a lack of clear communication, which may have prolonged the process.
The experienced pacer was initially expected to regain fitness in time for the Border-Gavaskar series. However, despite making a comeback in domestic cricket for Bengal and maintaining consistent performances, the team management did not consider him fit enough for the red-ball matches.
“They have tried to understand his workload. I really wish the communication is better between NCA, Team India, and the media. Sometimes, something is lost in translation, and that is why we were all thinking, ‘He’s going to Australia’, and he did not go at all. I think he will be fit and ready to go when we get to Dubai,” Dinesh Karthik said of Shami (as per the aforementioned source).
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