Suryakumar Yadav, who won the T20 World Cup 2024 for India as a player, will now lead the Men in Blue in the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup on March 8. India will face New Zealand in the summit clash in Ahmedabad, with a chance to create history.

If India wins the final, they will become the first hosts to win the title at home, the first team to defend their title, and the first team to win the T20 World Cup three times.

Suryakumar Yadav attended the pre-final press conference and was asked about his captaincy style. He stated that the only thing that would work is allowing a free-flowing exchange of ideas, freedom of expression, and letting every flower bloom in its own way.

Asked about the atmosphere of the change room and what kind of advice he gives the youngsters, Surya replied, "They don't let me talk much in the dressing room. They dictate their own terms. So, I have seen that when they get freedom, they become a different character on the ground. I started to relate to this team after 5-6 months (of captaincy). After that, I understood that there is no point in being a big brother or a father. You have to leave them.”

He added that each player has their own strengths and weaknesses, and he learned that he had to only guide them and not tell them what to do.

“There is no point in holding on to them. You have to leave them open. Only then can you get the best from them." Surya crisply outlined his leadership philosophy. He understood that a team is like a bouquet where every beautiful flower has its own pride of place.

Every player has different skills and strengths. It's not that I haven't said anything to anyone. I have spoken to the players. But for those who feel that I have left them, that percentage has increased from the start till now. So, I haven't said much to anyone,” Surya added.

When asked if he found his predecessor Rohit Sharma's boots too big to fill, he cheekily replied, "Joota mera hi hai, footsteps unke hain. (Sir, shoes are mine; I only follow his footsteps).

"The way he left, I got to learn a lot of things from him when I was playing under him. So, I also followed the same strategy, same fundamentals. I played a lot of cricket with Rohit. I know how he worked. So, I tried to implement the same things with a few thoughts of mine as well. And it's worked really well,” he said.

(PTI inputs)