Suryakumar Yadav has flatly denied that Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium carries any curse for Indian cricket, after leading the side to T20 World Cup 2026 glory at the very ground that had weighed on the team for nearly three years.
The superstition around the world's largest cricket stadium started after India's crushing defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, a night that left the home crowd devastated and gave rise to talk that the venue brought bad luck. That belief grew during the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stage, when South Africa beat the Suryakumar-led India at the same Ahmedabad venue, intensifying talk of a jinx that the team simply could not shake.
The tournament's final match, though, changed the story entirely. India claimed the T20 World Cup 2026 title at Narendra Modi Stadium, and their captain moved quickly to address the chatter that had built up around the ground. Suryakumar said people had been claiming India did not win in Ahmedabad since the 2023 final, but pointed out that India had since won at that exact stadium and there was clearly no problem with the venue.
Those words carry particular significance given that Suryakumar had to guide the squad through a campaign that threw up serious tests at every stage, including that early setback against South Africa. Winning the title in Ahmedabad rather than sidestepping it only strengthens what he said.
Beyond the stadium question, Suryakumar also gave an account of a decision taken ahead of India's semi-final trip to Wankhede. Speaking to The Indian Express, he revealed that the squad switched hotels before the game; a move prompted by a suggestion from within the group that a change of environment might give them an edge. He said the team did not want to leave anything on the table that could bring them closer to their goal, noting that other sides had done similar things in the past and that if another team had won from that hotel, it made sense to give it a try.
"People were saying India doesn't win in Ahmedabad… this after the 2023 final. But look at it now. We've won there, in that same stadium. Now we know there's no problem with the stadium," Suryakumar said.
"We were on the flight to Wankhede for the semi-final when someone suggested we try a hotel change. Many teams have done it. We didn't want to leave anything on the table that could take us closer to our goal. So if someone has won from there, let's try it," he told The Indian Express.
It is a sharp look into how a winning dressing room thinks: practical, willing to try anything, and completely unbothered by superstition once the results speak for themselves.
