When India plays Sri Lanka in Pallekele in the first game of a three-match Twenty20 International series, which starts today, a new era in Indian cricket will begin. Gautam Gambhir will serve as head coach and Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team.

As India takes the first step towards assembling the squad that will defend the T20I title at the 2026 T20 World Cup, all eyes will be on the younger generation as major names Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja make room for them. Prior to the start of the series in Sri Lanka, News18 CricketNext conducted a thorough interview with former New Zealand all-rounder and series commentator Scott Styris. The topics discussed included the rise of young players in the T20I setup, the impact of Gambhir on the team, keeping Pandya out of the leadership role, and much more.

The trip ushers in the T20Is’ post-Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja era. Is this an opportunity for the youth to take charge and carve out a niche for themselves in anticipation of the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Yes, I do. In my IPL commentary, I said that having a succession plan and making sure that many players don’t retire at the same time was essential. Given how well the local Indian batsmen performed in the IPL this year and the way the tournament progressed, I believe that now is the ideal moment to bring some of those young guys in.

For instance, I find it surprising that someone like Abhishek Sharma, who visited Zimbabwe, isn’t here. I would have like to see other men with similar qualities given the same opportunity.

In an ideal scenario, you would like the players representing the nation you support to have played 20–40 games before you attend to a scenario Cup. Thus, surprises are no longer present.

They are familiar with every player, every team, and every aspect of international cricket. They are thus prepared for action when the World Cup arrives. Thus, yes, I agree that losing Virat, Rohit, and Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] is a huge loss. You have such depth, however.

With Rohit stepping down, Hardik Pandya was considered the likely successor. Notwithstanding Pandya’s propensity for injury absences, the Indian administration has placed their money on Surya. What are your thoughts about that?

Personally, I too wouldn’t have chosen Hardik Pandya to be my captain. That is a wise decision in my opinion just because it is an all-arounder. He also has the finest all-around skillset in India. He is outstanding. But you need him to be in good shape all the time. Because of his frequent injuries right now, bowling is quite difficult. It exhausts both your body and you. Because there is just too much to accomplish, adding all of the responsibilities of captaincy isn’t always a wise idea.

I would really want to see Hardik Pandya focus only on improving his bowling and hitting techniques. You may then examine captaincy at a later time.

How do you see Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership potential now that he has been named India’s new captain?

When Suryakumar Yadav was really appointed, they undoubtedly considered all of their possibilities. They might have chosen from among the younger players, including IPL captain Shubman Gill, who would have gone to Hardik, of course. And there may have been further choices.

However, it’s possible that they just believe that long-term prospective captain options aren’t available at this time. Thus, trying to close that gap is the wisest course of action. Furthermore, we are aware of Suryakumar’s skill as a player. He has captained the Mumbai [Indians] under several excellent leaders, Rohit most recently, and Hardik more recently.

Give it to him for a year or two, maybe until the end of 2026, and then, when your club has stabilized a bit, you can search for a longer-term captain. You know, I like the selectors’ way of thinking. I believe they did a fantastic job.

Regarding Shubman Gill’s appointment as the Indian team’s vice-captain, what are your thoughts?

Yes, I do think there’s a hint that they think he may be the next Indian captain for the long haul, but they don’t want to put too much pressure on him just now. It’s still early for him in his international career. Although he has sometimes scored really well for India in international competition, consistency is what you’re looking for.

Let him observe and gain experience without assigning too much responsibility; after all, everyone is aware of his aptitude and abilities. At the same time, give him time to improve. For a decade or more, he ought to be the cornerstone of this Indian team. Don’t go right in with him just now. I really like that appointment once again.

Abhishek Sharma scored a century on his first tour to Zimbabwe, but he was left off the T20I team. Riyan Parag, on the other hand, stays involved and even makes the ODI team. How would you describe these two situations?

I believe it is more difficult to locate middle-order batsmen. It doesn’t matter whether you are from New Zealand, where there is very little depth, or if you have all the depth that India has. It’s difficult, in my opinion, to identify middle-order white ball players that consistently score runs. Shivam Dube won the opportunity to be on this squad because of this.

For this reason, Ryan Parag’s IPL performances have been observed. All of us were aware of his skill; all we needed was for him to become well-known. I’m glad he has now as it makes no sense to start players in one series and then dump them in another. I’m happy that they chose him, therefore.

And Abhishek Sharma, I would have retained him. He had a strong start to the Zimbabwean series. I believe you have to give those young players time, and India now has time to produce that next generation of players with all of its icons retiring.

Khaleel Ahmed is benefiting from his efforts and strong IPL performance. How much of an opportunity does someone like him who is returning after such a lengthy absence have?

It’s a tremendous chance. We also viewed him as a player when he was first selected. Bowling is a physically demanding sport, and there will be days when you will be attacked by batters and will need to overcome them. So, I believe that his ability to battle his way back into the side is also a very positive indication of his character.

He earned it after the IPL as he had an incredible performance. He was a really good player. Furthermore, India is a major global cricket player, thus having a large pool of quick bowlers is very necessary.

To ensure that you don’t lose anything when the following wave comes through in the event of any injuries, you need ten or twelve of them. Though it seems like I’m simply sitting here complimenting the Indian selections, I believe they made the proper choice.

Bumrah won’t be playing for the Indian pace team. Under such circumstances, Siraj gets to spearhead the effort with Pandya and others like Arshdeep and Khaleel Ahmed. How do you interpret this speed attack?

I appreciate the choices of these young players since fast bowling stocks are one area where India might need a little more assistance. When Bumrah is absent, your squad will always be less strong. He is just as skilled as all previous players, particularly when it comes to the white ball. You completely understand, therefore, the choice to give him a break. You have to make sure he is rested and prepared for some of the other difficulties India faces.

Khaleel is the leader of RCB’s bowling attack, while Siraj is the captain. And it’s the next wave that you’re searching for. You also expect more from Hardik Pandya. I genuinely want to see him step up and take on a dominating role with the ball, which is why I think it was a good move to not designate him captain. Is Shivam Dube’s position as a fourth seamer an opportunity? Maybe, just maybe.

However, if I were the opposition, I would also try to target Shivam Dube. This Indian squad presents an excellent chance for several of its players. I believe that it all begins with the bowling.

Gautam Gambhir’s style of play is characterised by aggression and determination. How may these qualities help the Indian squad, in your opinion, and how will they affect his coaching style?

That one is very intriguing. I’m going to be viewing this over the course of the next twelve months or so while enjoying some popcorn. From my past experience, I’ve always discovered that captains will ultimately become their own coaches. And Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy was evident to everybody.

He was aggressive, very abrasive, and all of the qualities you mentioned. And as a coach, I don’t believe it will be any different.

When he returned to KKR, he brought with him a tremendous sense of team togetherness, which is, I believe, a very beneficial aspect of his coaching approach. He’ll attempt to approach India in a similar manner.

I consider someone like John Wright, who, from what we could gather, had a really cheerful dressing room while he was in charge of India. However, Greg Chappell was really harsh and forceful, thus it didn’t work for the more experienced players.

Gautam Gambhir will likely try to find the ideal combination. He most definitely has the experience. He’s a clever cricket player. India has a capable coach if he can go on performing at the same level as he did with KKR.

In light of Gautam Gambhir’s first spell as India’s head coach, how do you assess his transition from leading an IPL franchise to the national squad? What attributes do you believe he offers the team?

Depending on how the Indian team is put up. These days, it’s common to have a head coach who functions similarly to a company’s CEO. He is seated above that. The coaches that oversee all positions, like as batting, bowling, fielding, and so on, are seated behind the head coach. Thus, I don’t anticipate the head coach doing a lot of one-on-one mentoring.

The whole squad is dependent on Gautam Gambhir to steer them in a certain direction. That is our plan of action.

Even though he wasn’t the official coach of KKR, as a mentor, he had a significant influence on the team’s overall strategy, the kind of cricket the team would play, the roles he wanted to see filled, and the individuals he chose for those positions.

In recent times, Sri Lanka has had difficulty playing white-ball cricket. What are the most important things you believe they should be focusing on in order to properly compete against India in this series?

They remind me a lot of New Zealand, I believe. There’s a lot of skill here, as I noted when I was a commentator at the Lanka Premier League last year. However, they had never given the players a consistent run, saying things like, “You are someone that we’re going to give an opportunity to, we’re going to play you for the next four months no matter what,” when we were reading out the players’ names or talking about them, all of whom had played two, four, six, or three games for Sri Lanka.

I believe Sri Lanka has made the opposite progress. They will choose someone else if you don’t enter the game and dominate from the first ball. Numerous players have represented Sri Lanka, however they haven’t really been able to settle there.

Since Sri Lanka has a lot of skill but hasn’t performed well on the international front, I’d want to see them achieve that. As a result, I believe you need to alter your plan for choosing your team.

What kind of matchup do you think the two sides will have in this series, given Sri Lanka’s difficulties and India’s recent performance? Which major conflicts are you most anticipating?

The conflicts are straightforward. It seems that Sri Lanka has several really talented bowlers. It’s unfortunate that Dushmantha Chamira won’t be able to play because, in my opinion, Sri Lanka would have had an opportunity if they had fielded a full-strength bowling lineup against a strong but inexperienced Indian batting lineup. Thus, I continue to think that India is the favorite if Sri Lanka is to win.

And very appropriately given their recent performance, even with the legends out of the game, I continue to believe that Sri Lanka can defeat India if their bowlers can penetrate the top order and take them out.

Given how lately Sri Lanka has suffered a little bit and how India has been dominating every event, regardless of the nation they are playing in, you know, they should be the favorites.

And what would the scoreline be, in your opinion?

I’ll predict India to win the T20I series 2-1 and the ODI series 3-0.

Watch the live coverage of the India Tour of Sri Lanka on Sony Sports Ten 5 & Sony Sports Ten 1 in English, Sony Sports Ten 3 in Hindi, and Sony Sports Ten 4 channels in Tamil & Telugu commencing at 7 PM on July 27, 2024.