Published: Feb 15, 2026, 12:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 15, 2026, 12:18 PM (IST)
Captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media on Saturday ahead of India’s blockbuster Group A clash against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. In a candid press conference, Surya confirmed key team changes, spoke about Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq, and kept the handshake issue open-ended while stressing focus on their own game.
Suryakumar confirmed that Abhishek Sharma will return to the playing XI after missing the Namibia match due to a stomach infection. The aggressive left-handed opener, who was hospitalised in Delhi, is now
fully fit.
“If you want him to play, he will,” Surya said with a smile, hinting at Abhishek’s inclusion. This change is likely to see Sanju Samson miss out.
When asked about shaking hands with the Pakistan players at the toss or after the match – a tradition paused since last year’s Asia Cup amid geopolitical tensions – Suryakumar kept it cryptic.
“We’ll break the suspense tomorrow. Wait 24 hours and see at the toss,” he replied.
He avoided a direct commitment but made it clear that the decision would be guided by team and official protocol.
Surya described Pakistan’s mystery spinner Usman Tariq as an ‘out-of-syllabus question’ but said India won’t back down.
“Sometimes in exams you get questions outside the syllabus, but you can’t leave them. You have to find a way to tackle them. Yes, he’s a different kind of bowler, but we can’t surrender. We’ve practised against similar actions in the nets, and we’ll try to implement that in the match,” he said.
Suryakumar emphasized that India’s focus remains inward rather than on Pakistan’s strengths.
“We have to see how we’re playing. We want to continue that. We’ll focus on our strengths, not the opposition’s performance. Whoever plays better cricket will win the match. That’s all that matters,” he added.
India have won both their matches so far but the middle order has looked shaky at times against USA and Namibia. Surya acknowledged the issue without excuses.
“Our starts have been a bit shaky – we can’t run away from that. No excuses. All batters have played enough cricket, and on tough wickets, they need to adjust their approach. We started well but stumbled a bit, then recovered. That’s the beauty of T20 cricket,” he said.
With Abhishek back in the XI and India preparing specifically for Tariq’s unique action, the stage is set for one of cricket’s biggest rivalries. All eyes will be on the toss, playing XI, and whether the handshake tradition resumes on Sunday in Colombo.
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
