3 major challenges for Suryakumar Yadav as India's captain for T20I series vs Sri Lanka
Star batter Suryakumar Yadav was on Thursday, July 18, named captain of the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue will play three T20Is and three ODIs in the island nation from July 27 to August 7.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup played in West Indies and United States last month. However, while he has been named in the T20I squad, the 30-year-old has not been elevated to the leadership role.
As per various media reports, Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is after Team India's triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and new head coach Gautam Gambhir were both in favor of Suryakumar getting the T20I captaincy ahead of Pandya. Some reports also claimed that Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had already conveyed the decision regarding T20I leadership to Pandya.
In the wake of Suryakumar being named captain for the T20I series in Sri Lanka, we look at three major challenges that await the new leader.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav will need to prove his credentials as T20I captain
While Suryakumar has been named as captain of India's T20I side for the three-match series in Sri Lanka, he will need to prove his credentials as a leader. The 33-year-old has very limited experience of captaining a side at the top level.
So far, Suryakumar has led India in only seven matches in the T20I format of which the Men in Blue have won five and lost two. He was in charge of the Indian team that beat Australia 4-1 in a five-match series at home. However, too much cannot be read into the result as the series was played immediately after the Aussies won the ODI World Cup, with the visitors missing most of their key players.
Under the 33-year-old, India also squared the series in South Africa 1-1 last year. The right-hander led from the front, registering scores of 56 and 100. It would be fair to say that Suryakumar has been impressive in his short stint as India's T20I captain so far.
This time, though, it is clear that he has been appointed from the long-term perspective, keeping the 2026 T20 World Cup in mind. Six months down the line a clearer picture is likely to emerge with regards to his leadership ability. Having said that, it will be extremely important for him to start well in Sri Lanka.
#2 He has to step into the big boots of Rohit Sharma
This will perhaps be the biggest challenge for Suryakumar in his captaincy stint. The Indian players have gotten used to a certain style of leadership, with Rohit being in charge in all three formats over the last two to three years. Under the Hitman, the players have looked at ease, and the same has reflected in their performances.
Of course, things are bound to change and that is just the nature of life. And so, Rohit has quit T20Is, while Gambhir has stepped in as head coach in place of the legendary Rahul Dravid. However, the transition in the Suryakumar-Gambhir era will be a test for both the players and the new leadership combination.
Suryakumar will need to ensure that the players buy into his philosophy of leadership, which will obviously be a bit different from Rohit. Being named captain is one thing, but how one performs in the big role and how the other members of the team respond to it is something totally different.
#3 He needs to ensure that the additional responsibility does not affect his personal form
Different players react differently to additional responsibilities and challenges. Some perform even better when they know that greater accountability is expected of them. In contrast, a few crumble under extreme pressure.
As of now, Suryakumar has done a good job with the bat while leading the Indian team. In seven matches as T20I skipper, he has scored 300 runs at an average of 42.85 and a strike rate of 164.83, with one hundred and two fifties. He smacked 80 off 42 against Australia and 56 off 36 & 100 off 56 versus South Africa.
The middle-order batter's stats as captain are pretty much in sync with his overall record in the T20I format. However, as mentioned earlier, these are still very early days in his career as a captain. How he responds to the varied challenges thrown at him as skipper and batter will eventually define his legacy as a T20I leader. The journey towards this eventual goal will start right away in Sri Lanka.