
India have been a dominant force in limited overs cricket. After winning the T20 World Cup in 2024, Rohit Sharma announced retirement from the shortest format and handed the captaincy baton to Suryakumar Yadav, who is undefeated and won all four series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.
The upcoming five-match T20I series against England will be crucial for Suryakumar to establish his authority as captain. Meanwhile, ahead of the first match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the 34-year-old was asked about the team’s preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar humorously refused to reveal that and added that playing as a group is important and that he wants to enjoy the journey.
“Sare secret bata du kya idhar hi . I want to enjoy the journey. We have to prepare the team, decide the position and play most games as a group. This is what me and Gauti bhai, focus on," Suyrakumar said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
His deputy Axar Patel however wants to evaluate the performances of all the players and noted the importance of momentum. The all-rounder mentioned that the year 2024 went well for the Men in Blue in limited overs cricket and he is hopeful that the players will be able to continue in the same fashion.
“World Cup is coming up in a year, so how we approach leading up to that, we want to try it from now itself. That's the main target. Momentum is a big thing because if you start well, you can carry it. We finished 2024 well, so we want to carry the momentum into this series too," Axar told reporters.
Meanwhile, the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested for the T20I series against England. Mohammed Shami is all set to make his long-awaited return as he is expected to partner alongside Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.