Suryakumar the captain: Easy to approach, ready with a wisecrack and wearing his crown lightly | Cricket News

He is also a popular captain because he is always there for his teammates.

Be it when Rinku Singh lost his father during the World Cup. Or when he advised a player not to buy an expensive car and invest in a house instead. He was not averse to admitting strategic mistakes. When India lost to South Africa in the Super Eight match, he told Axar Patel in the dressing room that it was a mistake not to play him. He knew Axar was upset about being dropped, but he also wanted to acknowledge that the team think tank had got it wrong by not playing him.

He also went out of his way to ensure the atmosphere in the dressing room was good. When Hardik Pandya was overlooked for the captaincy role and the job was given to him, he sat down with the all-rounder to have a chat. To make sure he, as leader, and others with captaincy aspirations were on the same page.

According to teammates, this paper spoke to Suryakumar, is always easy to approach. His laughter can be heard often across the corridor of team hotels and the door of his room is always open. On the eve of the T20 World Cup final, he spoke to those who were not part of the playing XI, just to emphasise that the journey belonged to all and nobody should feel left out whichever way the result goes. He also acknowledged that all the big decisions were taken in consultation with coach Gambhir.

He also takes the extra step to build a bond with players’ families, even when the team is not playing a series. “He makes it a point to keep in touch. If a player is at home, he asks to speak to their family members too. Most times on video call,” said a player who is part of the T20 World Cup-winning team.

When Rinku Singh rejoined the team in Kolkata after flying home for his father’s last rites, Surya spent a lot of time with him. He checked if Rinku had his meals on time. “Surya is not just about game strategy or winning or losing. He always looks out for his players. He is also pretty chill. Ready with a wisecrack most times and loves to share memes,” another player said.

But there is more to him than his witty side. Now nearly 36, Surya also gives sound financial advice. When a player wanted to splurge on a new set of wheels, Surya told him: “Paisa sambhalna bahut important hai, (It is important to manage money well) I made some mistakes, I don’t want new players to make the same mistakes.” That player is now careful about money and where he invests it.

He also doesn’t get flustered when things don’t go his way when captaining in the middle. He took dropped catches in his stride, as part of the game. Even when runs didn’t flow from his own bat, he was calm.

Right through the World Cup, Suryakumar was clear about one thing. He wasn’t going to get obsessed with the number of runs he scored, or was going change his batting style or overthink his batting even if he had a bad day. “Jis cheez ne Surya Kumar Yadav ko identity di hai, waise he khelna hai, joh beet gayi woh baat gayi,” (I will bat the way which gave me identity. Let bygones be bygones) was one of his messages to a friend.

Now, as a T20 World Cup-winning skipper at the age of 35, Suryakumar’s life philosophy seems to be spot on. Everything happens at the right time, like he loves to keep repeating.