Rahul Dravid's support staff sensationally accuses him of pushing Suryakumar Yadav's case for India's T20 captaincy

Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey recently revealed the reason behind the team management and selectors picking Suryakumar Yadav as captain of the T20I team. Paras Mhambrey stated that Suryakumar Yadav can play for India for a long time in T20s, describing him as a master in the shorter format.

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as India's T20I captain during Rahul Dravid's tenure. Yadav led the Indian team in two series just after the ODI World Cup 2023. The middle-order batter guided the national team to victory over Australia. India managed to draw the series in South Africa under Surya's captaincy.

Hardik Pandya was named as vice captain after returning to the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement after the Men in Blue ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought. The selectors announced Suryakumar Yadav as skipper despite Hardik's presence in the T20 squad.

One Of The Best In This Format - Paras Mhambrey

Paras Mhambrey said that the team management will prefer a captain who can play all series for the Indian cricket team. Mhambrey said that Suryakumar Yadav is one of the best batters in the T20 format at the moment.

"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," Mhanbrey told Hindustan Times.

Suryakumar won the race over Hardik Pandya for the T20I captaincy because the team management wanted a captain who could stay injury-free and be available for all matches. Hardik suffered an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup 2023, which kept him out of competitive cricket for a few months.

Yadav lacked captaincy experience at the international level and in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 33-year-old cricketer had captained Mumbai in domestic cricket. However, both the previous and current team management agreed that Surya was the ideal candidate to replace Rohit Sharma in T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav Is Very Friendly With Everyone - Paras Mhambrey

Mhambrey highlighted that Suryakumar Yadav is closer to the youngsters in the Indian team, adding that he is very friendly with everyone. The former Indian bowling coach stated that Suryakumar can mentor younger players, considering his experience.

"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."

Suryakumar Yadav's tenure as permanent T20I captain will begin with the three-match series against Sri Lanka. The first T20I match between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be played on Saturday, July 27. The match will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

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