Suryakumar Yadav has more or less put an end to the debate of who will open for India with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, or Sanju Samson, ahead of their first T20 World Cup 2026 match on February 7 against the USA in Mumbai.

While Samson scored only 46 runs in a five-match series against New Zealand before the T20 World Cup, Ishan outperformed him completely, hitting 215 runs in four innings at an average of 53.75 and a strike rate of over 231 with a 42-ball century and a fifty.

Kishan opened the innings, scoring a 20-ball 53 with two fours and seven sixes, during the warm-up match against South Africa, suggesting that the argument had finally moved in Ishan's favor.

"Definitely (on if Ishan will open). The way he has played cricket in the last five T20s, it was an international game, so he shows a lot. But if you look at the domestic cricket, he was playing. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 (517 runs in 10 innings with two centuries and two fifties). He batted like this in that too. And he came here and carried the same thing,” Suryakumar Yadav spoke on the possibility of Ishan Kishan opening for India, during a pre-match presser.

"Even though he got an opportunity at number 3, he opened in the warm-up game yesterday. So I hope he keeps batting like this. Whatever position he plays. He won't play below 3, but whatever opportunity he gets, he will keep batting like this," he added.

Surya admitted to having played a lot of cricket with some of the USA's cricketers. Players like Saurabh Netrawalkar, Harmeet Singh, Milind Kumar, and skipper Monank Patel played their formative cricket in India before moving tothe  USA. Surya stated that it is great that they are finally getting an opportunity, even if it is not their homeland.

"I have played a lot of cricket with them. But right now, we're having fun in our own cricket. The way we are playing cricket. At least I have played in Bombay, so I know how it works here. It will be fun. We will start the tournament tomorrow, and after that, we will catch up slowly," he added.

Surya stated that he enjoys his role as captain and believes the term "captain" is "overrated" and conveys a sense of "complacency," preferring the term "leader."

"It is a good responsibility to lead such a good group on home soil. And starting the campaign from Wankhede. So, I am very excited, and it is a good responsibility," he added.

(ANI inputs)