Ashish Nehra and Ajay Jadeja take a dig at Suryakumar Yadav's 'We wouldn't sit in groups' remarks after series win

Former Indian cricketers Ashish Nehra and Ajay Jadeja were surprised by Suryakumar Yadav's revelation about a new team ritual after the three-match T20I series win over Sri Lanka. Ajay Jadeja stated that players still talk about avoiding small groups, adding that it should happen naturally in a team environment.

India began the Gautam Gambhir era with a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka under new T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. Gambhir's influence was evident throughout the three-match T20I series. The atmosphere in the Indian dressing room has sparked interest among fans, experts, and former cricketers.

The Indian cricket team secured a win via Super Over in the third T20I match of the series in Sri Lanka. Speaking to Sony Sports on Tuesday, Suryakumar Yadav revealed that players have been asked to sit together as a full team rather than in small groups. He added that this strengthens the bond between players.

"This trend started during the World Cup, where no matter the result or performance in the game, we used to sit together. We decided that we wouldn't sit in groups of 2 or 3 people but always sit together as a team. The same thing happened during this series," Suryakumar Yadav said.

I'm Just Surprised That Players Are Talking About This - Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja, one of the experts on Sony Sports Hindi, shared his reaction to Suryakumar Yadav's statement. Jadeja questioned whether previous teams didn’t follow this approach, as the new captain mentioned that he brought this change.

“That is what you expect in a team sport. I'm just surprised that players are talking about this even today and it has been rather a change in the team that players won't sit in small groups. I don't know, did you not all sit together in previous teams? But again, the captain mentioned that he brought this change, although this is old,” Ajay Jadeja said.

Suryakumar Yadav began his role as India’s full-time T20I captain with a 3-0 series win against Sri Lanka. This series also marks Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India’s head coach. Suryakumar is expected to lead the team until the T20 World Cup 2026, as the BCCI appointed Rohit Sharma’s successor.

That Happened Only A Month Back - Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra, also on the panel, was surprised by Suryakumar Yadav's revelation. Nehra questioned why the change only began during the T20 World Cup 2024. Jadeja stated that he was surprised that this practice had just started.

“Didn't he say that this change happened during the World Cup? That happened only a month back,” Ashish Nehra added.

“I'm not doubting him, but I'm rather surprised that this has only started now,” Ajay Jadeja responded.

The Indian team will next be seen in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma will lead the team, and key players like Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Kuldeep Yadav will return. The ODI series will begin at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2.

Also read: Ravi Bishnoi passes stone-cold verdict on Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy in his maiden T20I series as India captain