Gautam Gambhir changed the Indian team's milestone-obsessed mindset: Suryakumar Yadav

Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has credited the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir, for infusing the ‘no personal milestones’ mindset in the dressing room after assuming his role as a head coach.

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Notably, Gambhir took over the head coach role in July 2024 after India won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title. Since then, Men In Blue went on to win nine consecutive bilateral series in T20Is, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the Asia Cup 2025 campaign. 

Since July 2024, the Indian team has won 31 out of 41 matches and lost just six, while two matches have ended in a no result and another two in a tie. Speaking in the captains’ meeting in Mumbai, Surya highlighted how Gambhir ensured that the dressing room atmosphere remains relaxed.

“The dressing room is the same. Only the boxes have changed a little bit. But it has been a wonderful journey since he took over. The main thing is that he’s created an atmosphere in the dressing room where it’s about being a team game. So, keeping your personal milestones aside, the team’s goal is more important to think about. They’ve infused that slowly, and it’s been a year now,” Suryakumar said during the pre-tournament captains’ meeting ahead of the competition.

“In our last game in Trivandrum, Ishan was in the 90s and still went for a six to get his hundred. That shows our mindset—keeping personal milestones aside and focusing on the team’s goal. The players in the middle are trusted to make those calls. He’s given everyone that freedom. The dressing-room atmosphere is very light, with team dinners and outings together, and those small things make a big difference,” he added.

India will start their title defence against the USA on Saturday, February 7, in Mumbai.

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