India and South Africa are all set to square off in a five-match T20I series, slated to begin on Tuesday (December 9) in Cuttack.

On the eve of the series opener, India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav addressed a press conference, where he shared an important message for the budding cricketers.

Surya urged the T20 generation to value domestic cricket, emphasizing that shrinking international calendar is actually pushing players back to where it all began.

“With fewer international fixtures, players are spending more time in domestic cricket — in a way, it’s taking them back to their roots. It’s important to play domestic cricket whenever possible," Suryakumar said in the presser.

“Many players go back, stay in touch with the game, and there’s always a lot to learn. It’s a very important part of their development," he added.

Turning his attention to the impending T20I series, the Indian captain insisted they don’t want to experiment with team combinations and rather focus on developing their own brand of cricket.

“We don’t want to change too much in terms of combinations. The focus is on the type of cricket we want to play," he said.

With the 2026 T20 World Cup around the corner, Suryakumar Yadav’s goal is clear. "We have to play 10 T20 games against two quality oppositions before the World Cup, so the immediate focus is on those matches," Surya stated.

“As we get closer to the tournament, we’ll gradually shift our focus fully to the T20 World Cup,” he remarked.

While South Africa won the Test series 2-0 against India, the hosts bounced back to clinch the ODI series 2-1. It remains to be seen which team walks away with the T20I series.