Suryakumar Yadav reveals why India changed hotels at the last minute during the T20 World Cup

Team India overcame tremendous challenges to lift their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, defeating New Zealand in the final. While the squad’s talent, hard work, and determination were crucial to their success, luck also appeared to work in favour of Suryakumar Yadav and his team. Ahead of the semi-final in Mumbai, practice sessions were postponed due to a lunar eclipse, and the team even changed hotels before the final.

“While we were flying to Wankhede for the semi-final, someone suggested we switch hotels. Other teams have done it before, and we didn’t want to leave any stone unturned that could help us reach our goal. So we thought, if it’s worked for others, why not give it a try,” Suryakumar Yadav told The Indian Express.

SKY also discussed the so-called “jinx” at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India had previously lost the 2023 World Cup final to Australia there, and their only defeat in the 2026 T20 World Cup, against South Africa, occurred at the same stadium.

“After the 2023 final, many said India couldn’t win in Ahmedabad. But now we’ve done it in the same stadium, so it’s clear there’s no problem playing here,” Suryakumar Yadav said.

On Sunday, India made history by securing the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, defeating New Zealand by a commanding 96 runs. This victory allowed India to successfully defend their title.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav celebrated the achievement, saying, winning back-to-back titles feels amazing.

In an interview with the ICC, he highlighted the team’s detailed planning, focused preparation, and tactical approach that helped them perform consistently throughout the tournament.

“We knew the tournament would be held in India, so our preparations were perfect. We understood the conditions, what needed to be done, and how we wanted to play. The word I’d use is ‘care’ and it gradually became part of our team’s mindset as the tournament began, focusing on each other and what the team needed at every moment. That was our guiding principle for this year’s edition.”