Security plays a big role in success. Rohit Sharma didn’t score an ODI hundred in his first 35 matches. He fulfilled his potential after 2013, despite having made his international debut in 2007. MS Dhoni stuck with him for years, and then Rohit serviced Indian cricket in the years to come.
Healthy culture in Indian cricket
Not many get the opportunity to fail, but the captains who do give players a long rope are often respected and revered. India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is doing the same. Along with head coach Gautam Gambhir, he’s creating a culture of security instead of fear in Indian cricket.
Sanju Samson had previously opened up about this. He’d shared how Suryakumar had told him that he’ll play back-to-back series against Bangladesh and South Africa, irrespective of how he performs. Gambhir had doubled down on this and told him that he’ll stick with Samson even if he scores 20 consecutive ducks.
Abhishek Sharma & the license to kill
The best T20I batter in the world, Abhishek Sharma, has shared how Suryakumar backed him after his initial failures. After scoring a hundred in his second T20I, Abhishek didn’t cross the 30-run mark in his next 7 innings. But the management knew his potential and told him that he would be backed irrespective of results.
“In my initial few matches, I got out early against Bangladesh. He (Suryakumar) told me, ‘Even if you score 15 ducks, I’ll still stick with you for the 16th match.’ I can give you that guarantee in writing. I told him, ‘Are you sure?’ It’s a very big thing for a captain to say this. It’s a big deal for a captain to say to a player, ‘I’ll still play you even if you score 15 or 20 ducks,'” Abhishek said on Breakfast with Champions.
The number one-ranked T20I batter also shared how this belief shown by his captain opened him up to play as freely as he did in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
“I understood at the moment that if I want to do something in my cricket career, I’ll have to do something different. Which was striking even faster. Previously, I was stopping myself, thinking about playing a long inning or taking the game deep. I had been doing the same for the last 4 years, and I decided to continue with it, even if I get out,” he added.
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