Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has commended Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, saying the latter has not received the recognition he deserves despite delivering impressive outcomes as captain of the Indian T20I team.
Suryakumar was appointed India’s full-time T20I captain after Rohit Sharma hung up his boots from the shortest format in 2024. Under his regime, the Men in Blue have adopted an explosive brand of cricket.
The results have followed, with India not lost any bilateral series and boasting a remarkable win-loss record of 32-5. The team also lifted the Asia Cup last year without dropping a game.
"We don't celebrate Surya - the captain as much, for whatever reason. His win percentage as captain in T20Is is 84 per cent, it is the highest we have. Why are we not celebrating him as captain? People don't give him as much credit," Pathan said in an interview with RevSportz.
Pathan drew Suryakumar’s comparisons with Rohit Sharma, praising the way the India skipper backs and manages his bowlers.
"He is a bowler's leader. I see a shadow of Rohit Sharma on him, by the way he takes care of the bowlers, he is very animated, very much involved in the game, and many times he takes the right decision for the team," Pathan added.
Suryakumar Yadav endured a lean patch with the bat last year. He managed to score only 218 runs across 21 matches and 19 innings, averaging just over 13, with the best score of 47* to his credit.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 around the corner, Surya was under scrutiny for his form but he silenced his critics in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, smashing dazzling half-centuries in the second and third game.
Pathan highlighted the importance of Surya’s return to form ahead of the showpiece tournament.
"It was very important for him to feel good about himself. Being the captain, he was always going to play the World Cup, but to go into the World Cup with runs, that was crucial for him. I always had faith in him, believed in him, and had predicted before the series itself that he would score runs. It is the most important positive that you have got from this New Zealand series," Pathan remarked.
