"Good start, but..." - Rohit Sharma's no-nonsense verdict on Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy for India

India Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma has opened up about Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy during the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma stated that Suryakumar Yadav needs more time to settle into the role as the T20I skipper of the Indian national cricket team.

Hardik Pandya was expected to lead the Indian team in the T20I series after Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format. Hardik led the Indian team in most of the T20I matches in 2023 and served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup 2024. Hardik also contributed with both bat and ball in India's title win.

However, the selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir picked Suryakumar as the T20I captain. Gambhir and Suryakumar worked as captain and vice-captain for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The new team management wanted the captain to play in all matches before the T20 World Cup 2026.

Suryakumar Yadav started his tenure as India's full-time T20I captain with a 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka. The middle-order batter secured the "Player of the Series" award for his contributions as both player and leader. This tour also marks Gautam Gambhir's debut as head coach of the India men's team.

Early Days For Suryakumar Yadav As T20I Captain - Rohit Sharma

Speaking ahead of India's first ODI of the three-match series against Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma shared his thoughts on Suryakumar Yadav’s performance as T20I captain during the recent 3-0 series win. Rohit said that Yadav had a good start but needs more time to settle into the role.

"Early days for Surya as T20I captain. Good start, but let him do the job a bit more," Rohit said, as quoted as saying by RevSportz Global.

The 33-year-old cricketer was the top scorer for India in the T20I series. Suryakumar scored 58 runs off 26 balls during the series opener, followed by 26 runs off 12 balls in a rain-shortened game. He scored just eight runs off nine balls in the final game but claimed two wickets for five runs while bowling the 20th over.

Rohit Sharma To Lead India ODI Team In Sri Lanka

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to cricket after a brief hiatus following India's 2024 T20 World Cup victory. Both Virat and Rohit announced their retirement from the shorter international formats. They will continue to play for India in ODIs and Test matches. Rohit will lead the Indian ODI squad in Sri Lanka.

The three-match ODI series will start on August 2 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It marks Rohit Sharma's first ODI appearance since India's World Cup final loss to Australia on November 19 last year. He will focus on the 50-over format as the Men in Blue prepare for the Champions Trophy next year.

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