Why is Rohit Sharma not playing today's IND vs SL 1st T20I?
Rohit Sharma will not be leading Team India in the first T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, July 27. The Men in Blue skipper, who led India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the United States, announced his retirement from the format after the final against South Africa in Barbados.
Suryakumar Yadav, who took a sensational catch near the ropes to dismiss David Miller in the T20 World Cup final, has been appointed captain for the T20Is against Sri Lanka.
Suryakumar had earlier led India in a five-match T20I series against Australia at home, played immediately after the 2023 ODI World Cup. He was also the captain when India leveled the series 1-1 in South Africa in December 2023.
Speaking of Rohit, he retired from T20 internationals as the leading run-getter in the format. In 159 matches, the 37-year-old smashed 4231 runs at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89, with five hundreds and 32 half-centuries.
The opening batter is followed by Virat Kohli (4188), who also retired from T20Is after the World Cup. Pakistan's Babar Azam (4145) occupies third place in the list.
"He was a leader on the ground and off the field" - Suryakumar on Rohit
At a press conference ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, new T20I captain Suryakumar praised Rohit and described him as a leader both on the field and off it. Sharing his thoughts on his predecessor, he said:
"He was always like a leader on the ground and off the field. He was not like a captain. There is a lot of difference in both aspects. There was a leader who was standing in the middle of the group, and he showed people the way, how to play this T20 cricket and how to win the tournament.
"I have learnt that from that and the same train will move forward. Only the engine has changed, the bogies of the train are the same," Suryakumar added.
Suryakumar and Rohit have been teammates for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League for quite a few seasons now. Rohit has been effusive in his praise of the 360-degree batter on many occasions.