Ex-India coach R Sridhar reveals reasons behind Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy appointment, explains 'what stood out in his favor'

Following their triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Team India underwent significant transformations. The first major change had already been decided before the final, as Rahul Dravid opted to step down from his position. However, the real bombshell came after the final whistle in Barbados, when stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to T20I cricket. While the news came as a surprise to many, it was a transition that had been anticipated by most.

With Rohit remaining as captain in ODIs and Tests, there was a question mark over his successor in T20Is, with most fingers pointing towards Hardik Pandya, who had been the vice-captain at the T20 World Cup. But the BCCI decided to go with Suryakumar Yadav instead. It wasn't anybody's predicted outcome, but the 33-year-old perfectly checks all the requirements for the captaincy role.

Also Read | Gambhir slammed over wasted chance with Kohli-Rohit move: 'You're not a foreign coach who has to get his equation right'

There have been other talking points too, especially as to who will replace Kohli and Rohit as India's next openers in T20Is. In this case, most would think it will be Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. But there are other openers like Abhishek Sharma and Sai Sudharsan who will be fighting for the role too.

Giving a better insight into how the Indian cricket team is starting their new chapter, former India fielding coach and also an ex-player, R Sridhar spoke to Hindustan Times in an exclusive interaction, and gave his perspective on the key talking points.

Here are the excerpts-On BCCI opting for Suryakumar Yadav instead of Hardik Pandya for T20I captaincy

I think the reason was addressed by the chairman of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar in the media itself. The very fact that Surya is someone who will be on the park for every match India is playing and not being bothered about workload monitoring is something which has tilted the scales in his favour, in terms of captaincy. Some of the matches he has captained India, when Rohit and Hardik were not available, has given confidence to the BCCI that he can do an excellent job.

He has been vice-captain and was at KKR before that when Gambhir was the captain, he's obviously been good with Mumbai Indians when they need him. He is someone who has exhibited leadership qualities throughout his tenure of being with the Indian team. That's held him in good stead, again falling back to his rapport with the other players, how they look up to him. He is the no. 1 T20 batter in the world, that is something which goes in his favour as well. The confidence, the ability to lead the team both on and off the field, the availability of the player for all matches, his cricketing acumen, all these factors have tilted the scales in his favour.

Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma's future with Team India

Of course, they will be given more chances. The BCCI selectors will pick and choose the series and they will be given chances. I think they will be playing a lot more in T20Is in future, with the Champions Trophy coming up in 6-7 months time and not many ODI matches left. Surely they will get an opportunity to play ODI cricket. But definitely the likes of Abhishek and Riyan will be playing a lot of A team cricket and a lot of domestic matches. The selectors will give them opportunities to play international cricket so that they are more ready, more prepared when they become a full-time player for the Indian team.

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal succeeding Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli as India's T20I openers

On current form and going back to the potential they showed in the India-England Test series and even in the ODI games, I think these two are nailing their position in two formats, that is T20Is and Tests. Shubman Gill for me is an all-format player and I think he would be the apprentice to captain Rohit Sharma in Test matches and ODIs. I am sure India will see him as the captain post 2027 World Cup in all formats.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal, I think he has got a lot of competition. He has Sai Sudharsan breathing down his neck. He has got Abhishek Sharma on his neck. But Yashasvi has done well in Test matches, against England, we saw him score a hundred and then followed it up with a double hundred. He has got the appetite for the big innings. He can play T20 cricket as he has shown in the IPL and the recent Zimbabwe series. But there are few left-handed openers around him, like I said Abhishek and Sai Sudharsan are two other good quality opening batters around. But that depends on form. But I think Shubman Gill is India's lead format player.

Hardik Pandya's captaincy snub

I am sure Hardik will come back. He has just won you a World Cup, bowling that two crucial overs between 16 and 20. The last over obviously was fabulous from an Indian perspective. If he has got niggles, he will come back like how he has before. But Hardik is somebody rare to find, a cricketer like him is rare to find. We can take good care of him till the time he is playing cricket and making sure he is available for the marquee series and all the big ICC tournaments.

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