Mohammed Kaif hails Suryakumar Yadav as 'proper replacement' for Rohit Sharma as T20I captain

Suryakumar Yadav is the perfect replace for Rohit Sharma as T20I captain, believes Mohammed Kaif. (Photo: ICC)

Mohammed Kaif hailed Suryakumar Yadav as the perfect successor to Rohit Sharma, calling him the ideal choice to lead India in T20Is. SKY took over as captain after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, following Rohit’s retirement from the format.

Since taking over, Suryakumar has led India to the Asia Cup Super 4s with comfortable victories over Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. He has also yet to lose a series as captain.

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The Indian captain displayed great maturity in both his on-field choices and his batsmanship during the match against the bitter rivals. The handshake controversy that followed the victory against Pakistan was also well-handled by Suryakumar.

The batter proved to be a true leader on the day of the victory over Pakistan, according to a video posted on Kaif's official Instagram account.

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“With the bat, he produced the winning hit, went unbeaten, and the way he replied to the media, talked about the things that show he has the ability as a skipper. The things that need to be taken care of on the day. Such a big game between India and Pakistan, and he turned out to be a true leader fairly. So, I do not doubt in my mind that he is a proper replacement for Rohit Sharma as skipper. The way he smiles while talking, his bat always does the talking,” Kaif said in an Instagram reel.

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Kaif also commended Suryakumar's leadership and the way he used Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the Asia Cup victory over Pakistan.

“Captaincy is brilliant. Hardik Pandya is bowling with the new ball; Abhishek Sharma is also bowling one or two overs in the middle. He’s managed things rightly. As captain, he has led in 24 matches and won 20 [actually 19 matches, excluding a tie games. I do not doubt that he is on the way to becoming a great leader,” said Kaif.

As the Indian team's captain, Suryakumar has won 19 of 24 games. The next match between India and Oman is scheduled for Friday, September 19.