Ex-India batsman calls 'captain' Suryakumar Yadav disciple of Rohit Sharma, fires him a big warning ahead of SL T20Is

The upcoming first T20I against Sri Lanka will be a special game for newly-appointed India captain Suryakumar Yadav. While the right-handed batsman has led the T20 team in the past, the upcoming game will be his first as the permanent captain.

Earlier this month, the Mumbai star replaced the legendary Rohit Sharma as India's new T20I captain. Rohit retired from the shortest format of the game after leading India to glory in the T20 World Cup last month. While many expected Hardik Pandya to become the new captain, the team management and the selectors decided to give the responsibility to Suryakumar Yadav.

The star batsman has established himself as one of the best T20I batters in the world in the last couple of years or so and will be eyeing a similar impact as a captain as well. And ahead of his first game as India's new T20I captain, former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has backed him to excel as a captain.

On Saturday (July 27), Kaif took to X to wish luck to Suryakumar ahead of his captaincy bow. He also said that the new India captain has been a disciple of Rohit Sharma and it will help him in leading the team.

"Suryakumar Yadav took a match-winning catch and brought the World Cup home. Today, he will be seen leading India against Sri Lanka. Our prayers are with him. He is a brilliant player," said Kaif.

"At the age of 33, he has been given the captaincy. He is a disciple of Rohit Sharma. He must have learned a lot from him, having spent a lot of time with him. Since they are also very good friends, I believe the experience with Rohit Sharma will be very useful for him.

"He appears calm and composed, stays relaxed, and plays match-winning innings. So, I think Suryakumar Yadav will do a great job as a captain," he added.

Mohammad Kaif warns Suryakumar Yadav:

While Mohammad Kaif backed Suryakumar Yadav to do a good job as a captain, he also fired a timely warning for him. The former cricketer told the new captain to not expect a smooth ride, saying that he would be facing criticism from all around, and urged him to stay strong.

"There will be criticism. People will speak ill of him at times, just like they did with Rohit Sharma. After the IPL, people questioned why he was being taken to the World Cup. But he went to play the World Cup, and his experience came in handy. At the age of 37, Rohit Sharma won the World Cup," said Kaif.

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