Early learnings from Suryakumar Yadav’s new ‘Indian’ era after Sri Lanka whitewash

What can you ask from a new head coach?

If you are a fan, exciting and positive results. 

If you are a player, opportunity to show your talent. 

Over the last week, that’s exactly what Gautam Gambhir has done, he’s provided exciting results that the fans have enjoyed and has also given everyone, EVERY SINGLE ONE in the squad, an opportunity to showcase their talent. 

While the result was a trashing 3-0 win over Sri Lanka, what can we learn this early from the Gambhir era in T20Is?

Sanju Samson’s missed opportunities

At this point, you have to feel bad for Sanju Samson. All those stunning displays of cricket at the Indian Premier League (IPL) force you back into Indian contention, and when you get two games in a row against a relatively weaker bowling unit, you end up tanking it.

Samson’s series could be categorised as catastrophic. Two opportunities in two different batting positions, one in his preferred one, and the result was ZERO RUNS. 

If that wasn’t enough, Samson’s shoddy work behind the gloves, too, served as a reminder that you have to take your opportunities. Samson might still be given a longer rope but he isn’t helping his own case. 

Suryakumar Yadav’s ‘funky’ captaincy

Indian cricket is no joke, but Suryakumar Yadav's handling of the pressure has been nothing but a joke. Suryakumar has treaded the thin line of funk and craziness multiple times in the series, but every time, it has turned out to be a Midas touch. 

With just nine runs required from two overs in the third T20I, Surya’s response was to hand the ball to RINKU SINGH? One who has never bowled in his T20I career, but the instantaneous response from Rinku, picking up two crucial wickets, showed the confidence he places in his players. 

"We all know he has a big heart when he goes out there to bat but also he has a big heart in terms of leadership as well. All the credits to him and [it was] amazing of him,” Washington complimented him post the match. 

Read: Rinku & Surya: The bowling pair that brought Sri Lanka ultimate humiliation in Pallekele

If that wasn’t enough funk, he bowled himself in the 20th over despite an over from Mohammed Siraj left. Multiple times throughout the series, Suryakumar has placed immense trust in his new players, something that was evident in how he utilised Riyan Parag. While it might be just ‘Sri Lanka’, Surya has left his ‘unique mark’ as a captain. 

Rinku Singh’s declining returns

It is not hard to notice that Rinku Singh is undergoing what is called a ‘cricketing slump’. Rinku might very well be the lucky charm, given that both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and India won the IPL and the T20 World Cup this year, but his batting has taken a dip in quiet corners. 

Since the start of IPL 2024, Rinku’s batting returns have been underwhelming, with 230 runs across 17 innings, where his average has dipped to 19.2 from the 72.4 he had in the previous edition. It wasn’t just that; his problems against spin, too, have now compounded, with a strike rate of just 126 and two dismissals. Here, against Sri Lanka, Rinku could only score two runs. 

Rishabh Pant seizes his opportunity

What Rinku or Sanju couldn’t do, Rishabh Pant did it with such ease. The left-hander scored 51 runs in two innings, with a strike rate of 145.71, and seven boundaries in the series. 

Pant’s highlight in the series was the 33-ball 49 he scored in the series opener, where he took on the Sri Lankan bowlers left, right, and centre. In that game, Pant was at 20 off 20 balls at one point before he teed off against Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, and Asitha Fernando. 

He showed a 360-degree game, and more importantly, he showed Gambhir that he was more than trustworthy for the job. While his numbers might not do justice, Pant has done what he’s been asked to do in Indian colours.

Is Riyan Parag the new project player under Gambhir?

You look at Parag and wonder whether he is the ‘new project player’ in the Gambhir era. 

Not only did Parag start ahead of Shivam Dube but he was also trusted both with the bat and the ball. While he failed with the bat in the first outing, he quickly made amends with figures of 3/8 with the ball. 

In the third T20I, Parag showed his batting prowess with an 18-ball 26 despite walking out at No.7. Later, he bowled four economical overs, conceding just 27 runs and leaking just two fours. The youngster bowled 9.2 overs in the series, the second-most for any bowler, only behind Bishnoi. 

He could very well even feature in the ODI series that is to come. 

Yet another series where Washington Sundar impresses

While everyone has hogged the limelight, Washington Sundar has done what he does best: deliver in the shadows. In just 42 balls, the all-rounder showed why he could be the best person to replace Ravindra Jadeja in the long run. 

In the 18 balls he got to bat, Washington scored a rapid 25 with three boundaries. But it was with the ball that he delivered the killer blow in an over that saw the backs of both Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka finish with figures of 2/25. 

As if that wasn’t enough, he was entrusted to bowl the super over, in which he restricted Sri Lanka to just two runs. He walked in the shadows of everyone else and put on a star display.

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