Suryakumar Yadav, leading the Indian team in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, acknowledged the lingering impact of their six-wicket loss to Australia in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup final. Despite India's pre-tournament favourites status and an impressive ten-match winning streak, the defeat in front of a passionate home crowd in familiar conditions at Ahmedabad was a tough pill to swallow.
In a video shared by the BCCI, Suryakumar expressed the collective disappointment within the team. He highlighted the incredible support received from fans in India and abroad, emphasizing the transient nature of sports and its valuable lessons in resilience and moving forward in life.
"As you all know, it's been 4-5 days since the end of the World Cup. Everyone are disappointed, including us. But the support that we received from our fans in India and abroad was amazing to witness, and I would like to say that at the end of the day, this is a sport and it teaches us a lot, like how to go ahead and move on in life,” said Surya.
Post the World Cup final, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the dressing room, meeting players and support staff. Suryakumar praised the Prime Minister's motivational words, quoting Modi's perspective on sports as a realm of ups and downs. He recounted Modi's encouragement to accept these fluctuations and move forward. The significance of the country's leader entering the dressing room and motivating the team was described as a monumental moment for everyone involved.
“I just want to say that please maintain the support you have given us all the time. As you all saw after the final ended, our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji also met us in the dressing room and motivated us.
“He said, 'it is a sport, and this happens – the ups and downs. You have to take all these things in your stride'. Yes, it will take time to get over and come out of this. But his motivational words and coming to meet all of us for five-six minutes was very big; a leader of the country coming in to the dressing room and motivating the team was huge for all of us,” added Suryakumar.
Looking ahead to the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies & USA from June 4-30, Suryakumar assured fans that the Indian team is committed to putting their best foot forward in pursuit of the trophy. Drawing inspiration from PM Modi's words, Suryakumar conveyed the team's determination to perform with the same intensity displayed in the World Cup, expressing hope for victory in future tournaments.
