Dubai [UAE], September 29 : Following his side's Asia Cup win over arch-rivals Pakistan, Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav spoke on "game-changer" opener Abhishek Sharma and looking forward to the next few months of T20I cricket action, including the World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, which could define his legacy as a T20I cricketer.
Having already shattered plenty of records in T20I cricket, Suryakumar registered his first major feather in his cap with the T20I Asia Cup win by beating Pakistan by five wickets in a tense title clash at Dubai on Wednesday. Alongside the feared spin bowling trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy, it was opener Abhishek Sharma's fearless hitting that proved to be a point of difference between India and the others. He managed a chart-topping 314 runs in six innings with three fifties, averaging 44.85 and striking at 200, having the second-best T20I tournament by an Indian after Virat Kohli's 319-run campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2014.
With a five-match T20I series in October-November in Australia, five T20Is against South Africa at home in December and five T20Is against New Zealand at home in January 2026, Team India will now look to test itself, its combinations and youngsters against some of the world's best T20I teams ahead of the T20 WC 2026, which will start in early 2026.
Speaking about the legacy-defining next few months of T20I cricket, Suryakumar said to Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, "Now you are putting a lot of pressure on me. However, we are really looking forward to Australia, the T20Is we have, and then 10 more in India after that. So we will get a fair idea of what our team should look like. There might be new faces, or people with amazing performances, but during the course of the next 15 T20 games, I think we will have a lot of characters."
Since his debut in 2021, Suryakumar has made a name for himself as one of the most destructive T20I batters, being ranked one in T20Is for a long time. In 90 T20Is, he has made 2,670 runs at an average of 37.08 with a strike rate of over 164, including four centuries and 21 fifties in 85 innings, making him the third-highest run-getter for India in the format. He is also a two-time ICC T20 Player of the Year award winner in 2022 and 2023 and has a T20 World Cup title to his name, having taken the iconic catch which led to India downing South Africa in a thriller title clash at Barbados last year.
On opener Abhishek Sharma's unreal hitting throughout the tournament, charging bowlers right from ball one, Surya said that he has seen Abhishek do the same in Indian colours and for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League, and he is a "game changer who should be left alone".
"Sometimes, you have to let go of people who completely change the course of the game. I've seen him before he played for India, in franchise cricket. He is a game-changer who should be left alone. Game-changers know what to do, and what outcome it will have, hence everyone around him gets a lot of freedom. That fearless attitude passes on to other players, to just go out and enjoy. They can make a difference, make an impact - bat 15 balls, make 25-30 runs, do the job for the team. It is going to be a complete team performance if you see the 15 T20s we have coming. I keep telling the boys that, sometimes, a 10-ball 15 or a 5-ball 10 is equal to a 50, and is very important," he concluded.
After a rocky start to his T20I career last year, Abhishek has transformed himself into a batter capable of showcasing maturity and destruction in the same innings, having made 593 runs in 12 innings this year at an average of 49.41 and a strike rate of 208.60, with a century and four fifties and best score of 135.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. An 84-run stand between Sahidzada Farhan (57 in 38 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Fakhar Zaman (46 in 35 balls, with two fours and two sixes) gave Pakistan the headstart they needed. However, thanks to the magic of spinners Kuldeep Yadav (4/30) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/30) in the middle overs, Pakistan faced a collapse from 113/1 in 12.4 overs to 146 all out in 19.1 overs, with Jasprit Bumrah (2/25) also getting the final two wickets.
During the run-chase, India sank to 20/3 due to an initial burst from Faheem Ashraf (3/29). However, Tilak Varma (69* in 53 balls, with three fours and four sixes), stitched a 57-run stand with Sanju Samson (24 in 21 balls, with two fours and a six) to bring India back into the game. Shivam Dube (33 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes) delivered some carnage with Tilak, solidifying India's hold on the game despite some occasional brilliance from Pakistan. In the end, it was Rinku Singh, who was featuring in his first Asia Cup match, who got the chance to hit the winning runs on the first ball. Tilak walked away with the 'Player of the Match' honours, and India secured their second T20I Asia Cup title and overall ninth, including ODI editions.