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'Nothing has come easy...': Rohit Sharma breaks silence on Suryakumar Yadav's T20 captaincy snub

'Nothing has come easy...': Rohit Sharma breaks silence on Suryakumar Yadav's T20 captaincy snub

Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav Photograph: (AFP)

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Rohit Sharma praised Suryakumar Yadav for guiding India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title and also expressed confidence in new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, backing him to succeed based on his strong leadership in franchise cricket.

Rohit Sharma has shared his thoughts on the leadership transition in India’s men’s T20I team, officially confirmed on Saturday (Jun 6), with Shreyas Iyer succeeding Suryakumar Yadav as captain. Rohit expressed confidence that Shreyas would have a good time in the role, while also praising Suryakumar’s remarkable journey from a late international debut to leading India to the 2026 T20 World Cup triumph. Speaking at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium during a Mumbai T20 League fixture between Suryakumar-led Triumphs Knights MNE and SoBo Mumbai Falcons, which featured Shreyas Iyer as batter, Rohit reflected on the importance of domestic competitions in developing talent alongside the IPL.

“Surya led the team to the World Cup, and now Shreyas has been appointed the captain," Rohit said on the broadcast. “I am sure that, with how he has captained his franchise, Mumbai, he’s going to have a good time as well. Nothing has come easy for so many of these cricketers, especially for Surya. he made his India debut at 31, if I am not wrong, so that shows he was always up for the fight. When the chance came, he wanted to grab it with both hands, and he did."

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After leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rohit retired from the format, paving the way for Suryakumar to take over and under his leadership, India enjoyed an unbeaten run in T20I series for two years and successfully defended their world title by defeating New Zealand in the 2026 final in Ahmedabad.

However, despite a promising start as captain, Suryakumar’s batting form dipped after 2025. His average dropped into the 20s across international cricket and the IPL, while the explosive strike rate that once made him the world’s top-ranked T20 batter also declined.

Although he produced occasional standout performances, including a crucial half-century against the USA during the World Cup, but his overall numbers were not convincing enough for selectors to retain him as captain.

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Aditya Bhatia

Aditya Bhatia is a dynamic journalist with a strong passion for storytelling, whether it’s the thrill of live sports or the pulse of current affairs. While sports remain close to...Read More