Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as India's T20I captain by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday, for the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka. This announcement marks a significant transition phase in Indian cricket following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the shortest format, alongside Gautam Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India.
This isn't Suryakumar Yadav's first stint as skipper of the India T20I side. Following the 2023 ODI World Cup, he led India in the T20I series against Australia and South Africa, guiding the team to a 4-1 victory over Australia and a 1-1 draw in South Africa.
Star Sports recently shared a clip from 2023 where Suryakumar Yadav discussed his approach to captaincy. Reflecting on his role and mantra for success, Surya expressed, "I am really enjoying this new role, spending time with everyone. We have played together a lot, either in franchise cricket or state cricket, so understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses isn't difficult. Our off-field rapport translates well on the field."
He added, "Keeping things simple is key for me. I am process-oriented and encourage everyone to do the same—stay true to yourself."
At 33 years old, Suryakumar Yadav will lead a 15-man T20I squad in a three-match series against Sri Lanka starting on July 27 at Pallekele. Shubman Gill, who recently led an Indian second-string team to a 4-1 T20I series victory in Zimbabwe, was appointed vice-captain for both T20Is and ODIs.
Following the T20I series, India will face Sri Lanka in three ODIs on August 2, 4, and 7 at Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for this tour after a demanding season, while Virat Kohli returns for the ODIs.
Despite being a frontrunner initially, all-rounder Hardik Pandya lost out on the vice-captaincy due to recurring injury issues. Pandya, 30, sustained an ankle injury during last year's ODI World Cup and made his comeback only at the start of this season's IPL, where he took over as captain of the Mumbai Indians in place of Rohit Sharma.
Suryakumar Yadav has previously captained Mumbai in domestic cricket, adding valuable leadership experience to his role with the national team.
Indian Squad for T20Is against Sri Lanka:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.
