Suryakumar recently led India to Asia Cup 2025 title win.
India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has confessed that he is not immune to fear when it comes to the future of his career, especially with Shubman Gill’s promotion to captaincy in Tests and ODIs while also becoming his deputy in the shortest format.
However, the 35-year-old revealed that this fear motivates him to perform even better, and he is genuinely happy that Gill’s rise.
Suryakumar was handed India’s T20I captaincy after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the shortest format last year. While the dashing right-hander is not among the team's top run-scorers, he has led from the front, guiding India to victory in the 2025 Asia Cup.
"I am very happy for him that he has become captain in two formats. He has done really well," Suryakumar told The Indian Express on Friday (October 17).
He added, "I won't lie, everyone feels that fear. But, it is the kind of fear that keeps you motivated. The camaraderie between me and him (Shubman Gill) is amazing off the field and on it. I know what kind of player and human he is. So it just motivates me to do well, but I am happy for him."
Suryakumar Yadav's got opportunity at the international level a bit late, with his T20I debut coming at the age of 31. In his first outing against England in Ahmedabad, Surya didn't get a chance to bat. But in his second game, he made an instant impact, smashing 57 off just 31 balls to earn the Player-of-the-Match award. During that knock, he famously sent the very first ball he faced off Jofra Archer for a six.
Reflecting on the moment, Suryakumar said that if he had let fears about his future take control, that shot would never have happened.
"If I was someone who got affected by things like these and thought so much about it, I wouldn't have played my first ball in international cricket the way I did. So I have left that fear behind a long time back. I believe if I am working hard on myself, following things that have to be followed, working very hard and being honest to myself, the rest will be taken care of," he remarked.
Suryakumar Yadav will next lead India in the T20I series against Australia, slated to start on October 29 in Canberra.