NEW DELHI: As Team India gears up for the T20I series against South Africa, captain Suryakumar Yadav is instilling confidence in his young squad, urging them to embrace the challenge presented by the formidable Proteas and perform “out of their comfort zone.”
The first T20I of the three-match series is scheduled for Sunday.

Suryakumar sees motivation in performing well in unfamiliar conditions, stating, “When you go outside India, you’re always out of your comfort zone, and when you do really well out of your comfort zone, it makes a lot of noise and that really encourages the boys.

So, really looking forward to the series.”
Highlighting the young players’ fearless and expressive approach to the game, Suryakumar emphasised the importance of maintaining a balanced attitude, regardless of success or failure. Drawing examples from the home series against Australia, he pointed out Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma‘s character in challenging situations.

Acknowledging the testing bounce and pace on South African pitches, Suryakumar expressed confidence in his squad’s adaptability, saying, “The key to success on such wickets will be to be yourself. We’ve played on all fast tracks in India, and everyone is really equipped for it.”

With only six more T20Is before the T20 World Cup in 2024, Suryakumar downplayed concerns about limited opportunities, citing the extensive experience gained by players in the IPL. He believes the squad is well-prepared for the upcoming challenges.
Elevated to the role of India T20I captain in the absence of Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar expressed enjoyment in the captaincy role. Reflecting on the heartbreaking defeat in the one-day World Cup final against Australia, he noted that the subsequent T20 series win against the same opposition served as a morale booster for the team.

“It was a little bit of disappointment (WC final defeat), which will be difficult to move on from. But as I always say, the show must go on. But after that, there was a nice T20 series against Australia. We really enjoyed it. It was a different format. It (the series win) was a big boost for the boys,” he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)