Virender Sehwag is hoping that Suryakumar Yadav’s “fearless leadership” will fetch India success during the forthcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. The tournament begins on September 9.
“This Indian team has the right mix of youth and experience, and under Surya’s fearless leadership, they can dominate Asia once again. His attacking mindset suits the T20 format perfectly, and if the team plays with the same intent, I have no doubt India can lift the trophy,” Sehwag said.
He was speaking as part of official broadcaster Sony Sports Network’s ‘Rag Rag Mein Bharat’ campaign for the upcoming tournament. “One of my fondest memories of the Asia Cup is walking into the dressing room on match days and feeling the buzz even before stepping onto the field. You could hear the chants outside, feel the energy,” Sehwag said. “I remember telling my teammates — today we won’t just play a match, we’ll give the fans a day they’ll never forget.”
Surya will lead a 15-member squad with Test skipper Shubman Gill as his deputy. The squad, which was announced earlier this week, doesn’t include Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer.
India open their campaign against UAE on September 10 followed by the clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. Their last group league match is against Oman on September 19. All the matches will be held in two venues — Dubai and Abu Dhabi.