Suryakumar Yadav stated that the 2024 class had 'experienced enthusiasm' to strive for a drought-ending ICC trophy, while the "fiery passion of youth" drove India's unprecedented championship defence of the T20 World Cup this year.
Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya (Pic: BCCI)
When comparing the two winning teams, captain Suryakumar Yadav stated that the 2024 class had 'experienced enthusiasm' to strive for a drought-ending ICC trophy, while the "fiery passion of youth" drove India's unprecedented championship defence of the T20 World Cup this year.
Speaking to PTI, Suryakumar discussed the minor differences between the two trophy-winning teams. He was a member of Rohit Sharma's team in 2024, which also featured the formidable presence of Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli.
After the victory in Barbados, the three mainstays withdrew from the shortest format, giving the reins to captain Suryakumar, who elevated India's T20 game. When asked about the difference between the World Cup-winning teams, Suryakumar Yadav could not find much.
"There was just an 'unnis bess ka farak' (minor difference) between the two teams. Woh experience wala josh tha, Idhar ekdum khoon garam tha ladkon ka (That was experienced enthusiasm (in 2024), this was fiery passion)," Suryakumar Yadav said.
Suryakumar talks about the pressure of playing at a home World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav and his team had to deal with the pressure of playing a home World Cup. The Indian skipper, having experienced it in 2023, shared the wisdom of playing a World Cup at home with his team.
"This year, I can say that we had less experience but more enthusiasm. All the guys are 25 to 27 years old. It was necessary to explain to them how it feels to win a World Cup in India, when people will cheer so much for you, 50,000 people, a lakh people, in the stadium.
The expectation of the people pushed Suryakumar Yadav and his team forward as they went on to banish the demons of Ahmedabad from the past to record a historic win against New Zealand in the final.
"We wanted to win the World Cup in India, and we wanted to win it in the same stadium in Ahmedabad, which was more important for us," Suryakumar added.
With the win in Ahmedabad, India became the first team ever to win three T20 World Cups and successfully defend their T20 World Cup crown.
(With PTI Input)
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