Promoted As T20I Captain Over Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav Makes His Leadership Stance Clear

India’s newly-appointed T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, was entrusted with the team’s leadership role on Thursday. Although it seemed likely that Hardik Pandya would assume the position, given his tenure as vice-captain under Rohit Sharma, his recurring fitness issues led the BCCI selection committee to seek an alternative. Following Suryakumar’s appointment as the T20I skipper, an old video resurfaced on social media, showcasing his leadership mindset.

In a clip shared by Star Sports, Suryakumar discussed his captaincy approach during an interview from 2023, when he had led India to a 4-1 series victory against Australia and a 1-1 draw against South Africa in T20Is.

“I am really enjoying this new role, enjoying spending time with everybody. We have all played together a lot, either in franchise cricket or state cricket, so it’s not that difficult to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Off the field, we also spend a lot of time together, which enhances our rapport on the field,” he said in the video.

“It’s important for me to keep things simple. I am a process-oriented person, and I like to keep things straightforward. That’s what I try to convey to everyone: keep things simple and don’t try to be a different version of yourself,” he added.

Shubman Gill, who recently led India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, will serve as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, the star all-rounder who previously captained the team, was not selected for the leadership role.

Pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, along with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, were also included in the T20I squad after being rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

India’s tour of Sri Lanka begins on July 27 with a three-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series starting on August 1.