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India’s Test and ODI captain, Rohit Sharma, shared insights on Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership during the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka. According to Sharma, Yadav needs more time to adjust to his role as captain of the Indian T20I squad.
Initially, Hardik Pandya was slated to lead India in the T20Is following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. Pandya had led the team through most of the T20Is in 2023 and acted as vice-captain during their victorious T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, making notable contributions with bat and ball.
Despite this, the selection panel and head coach Gautam Gambhir opted for Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain. Gambhir and Yadav had previously collaborated as captain and vice-captain at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The new management emphasized the captain’s active participation in all matches leading up to the T20 World Cup 2026.
Suryakumar Yadav embarked on his tenure as India’s full-time T20I captain with a convincing 3-0 series triumph over Sri Lanka. The stylish middle-order batsman was recognized with the “Player of the Series” accolade for his dual contributions as both a player and leader. This series also marked the debut of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian men’s team.
Early Days For Suryakumar Yadav As T20I Captain – Rohit Sharma
Ahead of India’s opening ODI against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma reflected on Suryakumar Yadav’s stint as T20I captain following their clean sweep in the recent series. Sharma noted Yadav’s promising start but emphasized that he requires additional time to fully acclimate to the captaincy role.
“Early days for Surya as T20I captain. Good start, but let him do the job a bit more,” Rohit said, as quoted as saying by RevSportz Global.
The 33-year-old cricketer emerged as India’s leading run-scorer in the T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav blazed through the series opener with 58 runs off 26 balls, followed by a quickfire 26 off 12 balls in a rain-affected match. While he managed only eight runs from nine balls in the final game, he showcased his all-round prowess by taking two wickets for just five runs in the crucial 20th over.
Rohit Sharma will captain the Indian ODI team in their series against Sri Lanka.
Following their break post-2024 T20 World Cup victory, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to make their return to cricket. Both players had earlier announced their retirement from shorter international formats but will continue representing India in ODIs and Test matches. Rohit Sharma, appointed as the Indian ODI squad captain, will lead the team during the upcoming three-match series in Sri Lanka.
The series kicks off on August 2 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, marking Rohit Sharma’s first ODI appearance since India’s World Cup final defeat to Australia on November 19 last year. With a focus on the 50-over format, Sharma and the Men in Blue are gearing up for the Champions Trophy next year.
