AHMEDABAD: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday there would be &quot;butterflies in the stomach&quot; when he walks out for the T20 World Cup final against <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/allens-record-ton-powers-new-zealand-into-t20-world-cup-final" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand</a>, with expectations sky-high for the hosts. The blockbuster final in Ahmedabad on Sunday is expected to attract over 100,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium and hundreds of millions more watching on TV. Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil. Suryakumar played a key part when Rohit Sharma&#39;s India lifted the World Cup in Barbados in 2024, taking over the captaincy later that year after Rohit retired from international T20s. &quot;Leading such a wonderful side into a final that (is also on) home soil, it&#39;s always a special feeling,&quot; Suryakumar told reporters at a packed news conference. &quot;Of course there are nerves, there will be butterflies in the stomach, but as I always say, &#39;if there is no pressure, there is no fun&#39;. All the boys and the support staff, and I am sure the whole of India is excited for tomorrow.&quot; Top-ranked India have been the team to beat in the tournament and lost just one game en route to the final, when South Africa ended their 12-match unbeaten streak in the Super Eights stage. India have since won three straight matches, holding off England in a tense semi-final as the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, held their nerve to win by seven runs in a high-scoring thriller. Bumrah, who was India&#39;s hero in their win against South Africa in the 2024 final, bowled a near-perfect 18th over at the Wankhede Stadium to deny England and Jacob Bethell, who hit a valiant 105. &#39;Experience is important&#39; The 35-year-old Suryakumar said having players with experience of major international tournaments adds to their armoury. &quot;There&#39;s a lot of benefit because there are a lot of players in this team who have played a lot of ICC events right from our coach (two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir),&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;So their experience is also important. And there are a lot of players, like Bumrah, Hardik (Pandya), Axar (Patel), there are a lot of players who have played in ICC events, in pressure situations.&quot; Suryakumar said he learned a lot from Rohit, who was joined by Virat Kohli in retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup. &quot;The way, where he left, I got to learn a lot of things from him when I was playing under him,&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;I tried to implement the same things with a few thoughts of mine as well. And it&#39;s worked really well.&quot;

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav (R) looks at the pitch as he interacts with the chairman of the Indian cricket selection committee Ajit Agarkar during the training session on the eve of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup final match against New Zea

Cricket

Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil.


'No pressure, no fun', says India's Suryakumar ahead of World Cup final

COLOMBO: India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan opposite number Salman Agha did not shake hands at the coin toss for their T20 World Cup showdown in Colombo on Sunday.&nbsp;Agha won the toss and elected to bowl in the Group A match, which was only confirmed as going ahead six days ago when the Pakistan government made a U-turn on a threat to boycott the match.&nbsp;Suryakumar also did not shake hands with Agha in any of their three matches at the Asia Cup in Dubai last year, including the final.&nbsp;The biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket was in doubt after Bangladesh refused to play their T20 World Cup matches in India and were kicked out, replaced by Scotland.&nbsp;The Pakistan government protested and responded by ordering its team to boycott the India game in Sri Lanka, the tournament&#39;s co-hosts.&nbsp;The cricket teams of the nuclear-armed neighbours only meet in multi-nation tournaments at neutral venues as part of a compromise deal.&nbsp;It has been more than 18 years since India and Pakistan last met in a Test match, and 13 years since either side crossed the border to play a bilateral series.&nbsp;The 35,000-capacity R.Premadasa Stadium was sold out for the clash, with tickets going for more than four times face value on the black market.&nbsp;Excitement was building outside the ground before the start of the hotly awaited clash.

At the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match in Colombo, India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Salman Agha skipped a handshake amid political tensions. Pakistan won the toss and chose to field.

No handshake between India, Pakistan captains before T20 World Cup clash

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ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty by the International Cricket Council (ICC) of breaching the code of conduct for his comments that alluded to the military conflict between India and Pakistan, after their group match in the Asia Cup on September 14, Cricinfo reported on Friday. It is understood Suryakumar&#39;s not-guilty plea was rejected by ICC match referee Richie Richardson and that he was fined 30% of his match fee. India have appealed against the verdict. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earlier lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding the Indian captain Yadav&rsquo;s &lsquo;political remarks&rsquo;, according to a PCB statement issued on Friday. Political remarks&nbsp; On September 14, Suryakumar dedicated his victory to the victims of the Pulwama incident. However, the ICC remained silent on the Indian captain&rsquo;s political statement. After the PCB&rsquo;s complaint, the ICC took action and summoned the Indian captain. During the hearing, the Indian captain could not justify his political statements. The PCB presented a strong case against Suryakumar during the hearing. The ICC completed the hearing after listening to both sides. To balance the matter, there is also a possibility of action against Pakistani players.&nbsp; The Indian board has already filed complaints against Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, according to the PCB&#39;s statement. Verdict on the two Pakistani players is awaited, according to Cricinfo.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty by the ICC for breaching the code of conduct with political remarks about India-Pakistan conflict during the Asia Cup. He has been fined, and India has appealed the decision.

Articles tagged with "Suryakumar Yadav"

'No pressure, no fun', says India's Suryakumar ahead of World Cup final

No handshake between India, Pakistan captains before T20 World Cup clash

Indian cricket captain Suryakumar found guilty of breaching ICC code of conduct