NEW DELHI: Major tournaments often reveal the nuances of leadership, and the former Australia captain Ricky Ponting India saw a lot in the way they navigated the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign under the captaincy. Surya Kumar Yadav.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!India entered the tournament as favourites, with high expectations while dealing with form concerns within the squad. The captain himself endured a difficult campaign with the bat. Apart from a rescue innings of 84* off 49 balls in the opener against the USA, Yadav scored 158 runs in the remaining eight innings. Nevertheless, he led the team to the peak at the most important moments.
Ponting believes that the true measure of captaincy is often found behind closed doors.“It’s more than what he does off the field, the things people don’t see and how he interacts with his players,” Ponting said, according to the ICC website.The Australian great also pointed out that it becomes even more difficult to lead a team when a captain’s personal form dips, which Yadav experienced during the tournament.Ponting noted, “He didn’t have a good time as a player, but he’s still standing with the World Cup trophy at the end.” “I know, as a former captain, when you are not batting at your best, captaincy can be really difficult. And when you are batting well, captaincy can be very easy.”Ponting also highlighted how Yadav kept players under pressure, especially those struggling with form and confidence.“It would have been really interesting to see how Suriya has interacted with Abhishek (Sharma) and Sanju (Samson) in the last few weeks. This is where real stories about real leadership will emerge.”Abhishek Sharmathe ICC No. 1 ranked T20I batsman had a turbulent run during the tournament. He registered three consecutive ducks, followed by low scores of 15, 10 and 9, and managed just one fifty before the final. However, on the biggest stage of the tournament, he found his form once again, scoring 52 off 21 balls and scoring the fastest fifty of the 2026 edition in just 18 balls.“You don’t have to worry about the staples, it’s more the guys on the fringes and the young guys going up and down with their emotions and fighting their looks, who you spend the most time with,” he noted.A crucial decision of the tournament came at the top of the order when Sanju Samson Renewed support was given. His first opportunity came early in the campaign as cover for Sharma, but he was dropped again before being recalled for a crucial match against Zimbabwe. Samson seized the opportunity and turned it into a dominant run.A 97* in a virtual knockout against the West Indies marked his peak. He followed it up with scores of 89 (42) in the semi-final against England and 89 (46) in the final against New Zealand. In just five innings, Samson scored 321 runs – the most by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup.Ponting emphasized the importance of India’s confidence in the wicket-keeper batsman.“For India to be there with him at the top, it was a big decision. A big decision, but one that turned out very well in the end,” he said. “If you have the support of the coaching staff and the captain, that’s all you need … just a pat on the back or an arm around the shoulder to say ‘We’re with you, we believe in you.’“When you have the quality that Sanju has, and the confidence of the captain and the coach behind you, great things can happen,” he concluded.
