"Teesre chauthe over ke baad tu hi dikhega" - Suryakumar Yadav's message to Axar Patel ahead of IND vs SL 1st T20I
Suryakumar Yadav's stint as India's new T20I skipper is set to kick off with the Men in Blue's upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. Ahead of the opening encounter, Suryakumar hinted that left-arm spinner Axar Patel could again be seen bowling in the powerplay.
Sony Sports Network posted a video of Team India's training session on social media, in which Suryakumar was heard telling Axar that he would be bowling after the third or the fourth over. He said:
"Teesre chauthe over ke baad tu hi dikhega." (You'll only come on after third or fourth over)
You can watch the clip below:
Suryakumar Yadav pipped Hardik Pandya to become India's new T20I skipper after former captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format following the team's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. Suryakumar was one of India's top performers with the bat at the showpiece event, amassing 199 runs across eight innings.
"He keeps the atmosphere lively, loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff" - Axar Patel on Suryakumar Yadav
Ahead of India's T20I series against Sri Lanka, Axar Patel stated that Suryakumar Yadav is a happy-go-lucky guy, which will be good for the atmosphere of the dressing room.
He also suggested that Suryakumar was a captain who gave the bowlers freedom to set their fields. Speaking about the swashbuckling batter's leadership, Axar told ESPNcricinfo:
"I have spent a lot of time with Suryakumar. Surya bhai is a happy-go-lucky guy. He keeps the atmosphere lively, loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff. I know he will keep the atmosphere cool.
"I recently played a five-game T20I series when he was the captain. I know he is a bowler's captain. He gives the bowlers the fields they ask for. And it was like that with me, too. I don't think there will be a lot of change. We will get to know now playing under his captaincy about his mindset. You can't judge someone's captaincy by one tour. When we play more, we will get to know more of his captaincy style."
The T20I series opener between India and Sri Lanka will be played at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27.