Newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Friday insisted that India will continue with the attacking style of cricket that was the hallmark of his predecessor Rohit Sharma’s regime.
Under the leadership of Rohit, who retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup in the Americas, India played an aggressive game at home that broke the mould they had played in ODIs last year.
“The same train will continue to run. Only the engine has changed and the look remains the same,” Suryakumar said on the eve of the first of three T20Is against Sri Lanka.
“Nothing changes. The brand of cricket remains the same. It (the captaincy role) doesn’t change anything. It has given me an additional responsibility. It’s good to now be able to ‘walk the talk’,” he added.
Suryakumar said he wanted to follow the path Rohit followed during his tenure as captain.
“What I learnt from Rohit is that he has always been a leader, both on and off the field,” he said.
“He was not just a captain. There is a big difference between the two. He was a leader who stood in the middle of the group and showed the way to the people.
“How to play T20 cricket and how to win a tournament? That’s what I learnt from him,” he elaborated.
Suryakumar, who has been handed the captaincy of India over T20 WC vice-captain Hardik Pandya, says the all-rounder’s role will remain the same.
“Hardik’s role has always been the same. He is a very important player for the team. I hope he continues to show the form he showed at the World Cup,” he said.
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Suryakumar hoped that young players like Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh would perform well in the series against Sri Lanka.
“Three players have retired and it will be difficult to fill their positions, but the new players have definitely practiced a lot and played a lot,” he said.
“They are already doing well in franchise cricket and have done very well in the matches they have played for India. I have high hopes that they will do well.”
Suryakumar says he is a ‘changed man’ 10 years after he was removed as Mumbai captain following allegations of abusive language towards team-mates on the pitch.
“I think it’s completely changed. It’s been almost 10 years since 2014. A lot will change in 10 years. I’ll be a completely different person. I can learn a lot. I’m a completely different person now,” he said.
“I got married in 2016. So, of course, things have changed since then. But yeah, it’s completely different now,” he added.
Suryakumar once again highlighted the influence Rohit had on him.
“I have learnt a lot from the captains I have played with and of course Rohit Sharma for the last six years. I have learnt a lot from him and in my own style, we will steer the ship forward,” he said.
New India coach Gautam Gambhir recently expressed regret for not tapping into Suryakumar’s potential during his time at Kolkata Knight Riders, but said Suryakumar has enough potential to turn things around.
“Now we can unleash that potential together,” he said with a smile.
“Our bond has always been special. We talk a lot. We both can only understand what we want to say through gestures.
“Sometimes, even if nothing is expressed, I understand what each person wants to say. I am very excited about this journey. Let’s see what happens,” he said.
