Heading into the Asia Cup, the Indian cricket team faced more questions than clear answers. Doubts lingered about Suryakumar Yadav’s ability to handle the immense pressure of captaining a multi-team tournament, whether the team would miss Rohit Sharma’s seasoned leadership, and crucially, who would step up to fill the void left by the absence of star player Virat Kohli. By the time the final match concluded, all these questions had been answered with a resounding triumph.
While Suryakumar Yadav may not have personally set the scoreboard alight, accumulating only 72 runs across seven matches, his captaincy was nothing short of a masterclass in composure and strategic clarity. Whether navigating the nail-bitbiting Super Over finish against Sri Lanka or guiding the team through three high-stakes clashes with arch-rivals Pakistan, the 35-year-old demonstrated a calm resolve, echoing the leadership style of Rohit Sharma and instilling profound trust in his players.
When questioned about his individual form after the victory, Surya dismissed concerns with a witty retort. “Start hi nahi mila, convert kaha se honge?” he quipped, implying he hadn’t had enough time at the crease to build big innings. He then added with a confident grin, “I’m not out of form — just out of runs. That’s all I believe.”
If Surya was the strategic brain behind India’s successful campaign, Abhishek Sharma was undoubtedly its fiery heart, providing the team with the kind of explosive starts that were once Rohit Sharma’s hallmark. In the grand finale, young Tilak Varma emerged as India’s new crisis man, delivering an unbeaten 69 in a tense chase against Pakistan, a performance that firmly staked his claim to the pivotal role of finisher-in-chief, a position famously owned by Virat Kohli.
However, Suryakumar Yadav was quick to emphasize that the victory was a collective effort, not one attributable to a few individuals. “I don’t want to point out just one player. This is a team sport,” he asserted. “From the first game to the final, there were so many little moments, so many guys who did small things that mattered. Obviously, Tilak played an unbelievable knock in the final. But also Kuldeep (with 17 wickets), who came back so strongly with the ball, Varun, who made a comeback, Sanju, who absorbed so much pressure. These are the things that win you tournaments.”
Surya vividly described the campaign as a gradual ascent, comparing it to climbing a ladder, one step at a time. “We went from the league stage to the Super 4, then to the final — step by step. Every time there was a moment, we grabbed it. We sat down as a team, as batting, bowling, and fielding groups, and worked on those moments. It was a complete team effort.”
He also lauded Shivam Dube’s crucial contributions with the ball, which proved vital in maintaining India’s balanced team combination. “Shivam has worked hard on bowling with both the new and old ball. We play with eight batters and a lot of all-rounders, so his overs were important. I’ve seen him do it in domestic cricket for Mumbai. I was confident, and the coach was confident he would deliver. We weren’t surprised at all by how well he performed.”
For Suryakumar Yadav, this Asia Cup triumph was more than just another trophy; it was undeniable proof that India’s next generation of cricketers possesses the fortitude to thrive under pressure, rebuild when necessary, and forge their own remarkable stories on the international stage.