Suryakumar Yadav ’gets respect from the younger lot’: India coach on SKY captaincy in T20I cricket in Sri Lanka series

The Indian cricket team is all set to begin a new era under new head coach Gautam Gambhir and new T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar Yadav, the star of the T20 World Cup 2024, has been elevated to lead India in the three T20Is against Sri Lanka, which begin on 27 July.

Experts believe one of the main reasons for appointing Surya as T20I skipper was the Indian team management's decision. They were looking for a skipper who would stay injury-free for a longer period and be available for all the matches.

However, with Hardik's history of long injuries, the possibility of him making the skipper seemed unlikely.

Another reason could be his relation with juniors players who feel it easy to approach Surya and do have that respect from the younger lot.

According to former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, the thought process to make Surya T20Is captain belonged to former India head coach Rahul Dravid.

"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 HT.

In the domestic cricket, Surya has captained Mumbai in the past, but have no experience leading a team at the highest level before the Australia and South Africa series.

'Good bond with everyone':

Mhambrey noted Suryakumar Yadav has a good bond with everyone in the team.

"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, 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," the former India bowling coach.

He added, "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."