Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed India’s new T20I captain, a decision that has sparked debate following the announcement of squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
After T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma's retirement from the shortest format of the game, it was expected that deputy Hardik Pandya will over as skipper. However, Suryakumar pipped the star all-rounder to become Rohit’s successor in T20Is.
In a press conference before the Indian team departed for Sri Lanka, chief selector Ajit Agarkar pointed out the fitness concerns of Hardik as a reason why Suryakumar was preferred for the high-profile role.
Meanwhile, former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has revealed that the idea of promoting Suryakumar Yadav to captaincy was first considered during Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, which ended with the T20 World Cup triumph last month.
Dravid’s successor Gautam Gambhir decided to implement this vision when the opportunity presented itself.
"First and foremost, when you pick a captain, you expect the captain to play all the games in that format. We, the coaches and selectors, have always felt that here's a guy who's gonna have a long future in the T20 format. He has mastered that skill. One of the best in this format. He and Klaasen are maybe one or two in T20Is now based on their current form. Just the pure impact he has on winning games for India is phenomenal," Mhambrey told Hindustan Times.
Addressing the media, Agarkar had also said that positive feedback from the dressing room also played a part in Suryakumar’s appointment as T20I captain.
Mhambrey spoke about Suryakumar’s healthy bonding with teammates, particularly the younger players.
"He's been with the team. I've seen him interact with the young guys. On one hand, we had Rohit and Virat, guys who are stalwarts, and then we have Surya, who is experienced but probably even closer to the youngsters. He is very friendly with everyone. He has that respect from the younger lot. The youngsters need to interact with him, he's good at it. So, he has a good bond with everyone in the team. He has come up through the ranks, so he has a lot of experience and is a smart cricketer," Mhambrey said.
Suryakumar, 33, still has a lot of cricket left in him and he might be leading India in the next two T20 World Cups.
"He has a lot of cricket left in him. He has a good four-five years of cricket left in him. With all this, I think he is a great choice," Mhambrey remarked.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team will play three T20Is on the tour of Sri Lanka, starting on July 27 in Pallekele.
India’s T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Akshar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj
