Ahmedabad, February 21 Suryakumar Yadav was both cheeky and sarcastic when the inevitable question about Abhishek Sharma's hat-trick of ducks arose before India's T20 World Cup game against South Africa on Sunday.
"Regarding Abhishek's form, I worry about those who are worried about his form. I worry about them. Why are they so concerned about Abhishek's form?" Surya, the protective captain, who embodies the "All For One and One For All" team ethos, said, dismissing the query in a manner similar to his trademark "Supla" shot.
"Last year, Abhishek covered for all of us. Now it is our duty to cover for him," Surya said, clearly referring to his own prolonged period of poor form.
For Abhishek, the world's No. 1 ranked T20 batter, the captain was willing to go the extra mile to acknowledge the achievements of his younger teammate in the run-up to the World Cup.
"But I think about the teams that will be playing against him. That he hasn't yet scored a run. You know the rest. When he scores a run, you'll see what happens. It's a team sport, and it continues."
Abhishek has been dismissed by off-spinners in successive games while attempting slogs, and the captain is unconcerned about the type of bowling or the manner of dismissal.
For Surya, the important point is to see Abhishek playing his natural attacking game, come what may.
"Our team needs Abhishek to play a certain kind of game, and he is trying to do that. We never want him to lose his identity. If his method doesn't work, we are there to support him," Surya said.
During South Africa's practice session on Friday, captain Aiden Markram, who bowls off-spin, was seen attempting to bowl, keeping two cones – one on the off-side and one on the leg-side. This was an attempt to maintain the line of the three stumps.
This tactic has been successful for Salman Ali Agha and Aryan Dutt against Abhishek.
"Whether it's off-spinners or left-arm spinners, we have played so much cricket. I think everyone is well-equipped. You won't even get a rough patch if an off-spinner bowls in the first two overs. We play franchise and domestic cricket. In both, off-spinners often bowl to left-handers with the new ball."
The captain emphasized the importance of having one's own game plan.
"Everyone has their own game plan of how to play and who to play. At that time, if the team needs to play shots and score runs, we will score runs against off-spinners as well. But as I said, everyone has their own game plan."
