'But Then Gauti Bhai...': Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Head Coach Gautam Gambhir's Advice After Batting Collapse Against USA At Wankhede

India began their T20 World Cup campaign against USA at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7, 2026. Before the match, fans were expecting a run fest, given India's recent T20 triumphs, and with USA opting to bowl after winning the toss, fans exploded with excitement, expecting an Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan masterclass in the top order.

However, what followed was a batting collapse, with USA player Ali Khan dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a duck, while Ishan Kishan could score only 20 runs before he too walked back. Following this, the USA bowlers started to strangle Indian batters, as the hosts soon found themselves struggling to cross the 100-run mark. The Men in Blue were reeling at 77-6 in the 13th over of the 1st innings.

Despite the collapse, Captain Suryakumar Yadav was still in the middle and was expected to help his side pose a respectable target for their opponents. The captain delivered so with his unbeaten 49-ball 84 run knock as India finished their innings at 160 runs. Following the match, Suryakumar Yadav shared head coach Gautam Gambhir's advice in the 14th over that helped him.

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Suryakumar Yadav Shares Gautam Gambhir's Advice

In the post-match interview, Suryakumar Yadav shared that the coach had come onto the field in the 14th over during the drinks break and asked him to try and bat till the end, emphasising his belief in the skipper.

Suryakumar shared, "I always felt that there was a need for a batter to bat till the end. I never felt that it was a 180–190 wicket. I felt it was a 140 wicket. But then Gauti bhai told me the same thing during the break after 14 overs. He told me, ‘Just try and bat till the end; you can cover it any time.'"

He further added, "And also, the most important thing is that I have played a lot of my cricket in Bombay, on this wicket and on the maidans of Mumbai cricket. So I know how to bat on similar kinds of wickets."

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India Defeated USA By 29 Runs

Suryakumar Yadav's knock was laced with 10 boundaries and 4 sixes, and the USA bowlers conceded 65 runs at the hands of the India skipper in just four overs. Following the underwhelming 1st innings, a disciplined performance from the Indian bowlers choked the USA batters, who managed only 132 runs after 20 overs, sealing India's first victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup campaign.