Suryakumar Yadav, the T20I captain for Team India in the Sri Lanka series, revered the ex-captain Rohit Sharma as a captain both in the field and outside. The dashing batsman held that even if Rohit is not part of T20I setup anymore he would try to take ahead the better part of his predecessor.
Suryakumar was appointed as captain of the Indian cricket team after Rohit declared his retirement from the shortest format of the game following the T20 World Cup in 2024. Rohit was at the helm during India’s ICC T20 World Cup triumph held in West Indies and United States last month which was his last task as T20 captain.
At a press conference prior to the first T20I match between India and Sri Lanka, Suryakumar expressed that it wouldn’t be about different cricketing styles after Hitman left but he also had high regards towards him.
“I always think that what I have learned from Rohit Sharma, he was always like a leader on the ground and off the field. He was not like a captain. There is a lot of difference in both aspects. There was a leader who was standing in the middle of the group, and he showed people the way, how to play this T20 cricket and how to win the tournament.”
“I have learnt that from that and the same train will move forward. Only the engine has changed, the bogies of the train are the same,” the 33-year-old said.
𝙍𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩.. 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰! 💪 pic.twitter.com/KYqQPhHLcq
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) July 26, 2024
Before the Sri Lankan series, Suryakumar captained India against Australia in a five-match series held within its borders, and a brief contest occurred in South Africa in December of 2023.
“It feels good” –Suryakumar’s Reaction to Being Appointed T20I Captain
Suryakumar finally made an international appearance for the first time in 2021. In three years from now, he is already being considered for a regular T20I captain’s position. Remembering how much he has risen in stature over the years, this 33-year-old accepted that it has been a fairy-tale journey.
“Every player’s dream is to represent India, to do good for India. So that was my first dream. When it is going well, then gradually you think how you can win India in a big tournament, you can win matches,” he said.
“Then another goal comes that if you ever become the captain of India, how will you win games for India [while] playing against good teams. So this is also another box that has been ticked. And it feels good,” the middle-order batter concluded.
India’s team captain is right now positioned at the second spot in ICC Men’s T20I batter rankings with 797 points. Before being displaced by Travis Head of Australia, he was the No. 1 batsman.
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