Rohit Sharma retired from T20 internationals after leading India to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. That left the BCCI to find out who would be the next player to lead India in the T20 internationals. With Gautam Gambhir taking over the position of head coach, India are in search of a new T20I captain who can lead India in the next edition of the T20 World Cup in 2026. Some reports confirm Suryakumar Yadav as the front-runner for the T20I captaincy.
The 33-year-old has been India’s best T20I batter for the last 2–3 years. He is a run machine in the shorter format and has been a regular member. He is not much involved in the other two formats, and T20Is are where he has excelled so far. He has led India in T20Is in a couple of series, but taking up this responsibility permanently is totally different. Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t have much experience as a captain, but can he be a good captain? So let’s check out his numbers as a captain at different levels.
Suryakumar Yadav Named Captain for India’s T20I Series Against South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed captain of the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming four-match series against South Africa, starting November 8. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member squad, which includes three uncapped players: Ramandeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, and Yash Dayal. This series presents an exciting opportunity for Yadav to showcase his leadership skills on the international stage.
Suryakumar Yadav as captain: T20 Internationals
Famously known as “India’s Mr. 360,” Suryakumar Yadav made his captaincy debut for India in the home series against Australia after the ODI World Cup 2023. India won that series 4-1.
India played amazingly well under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav and won the T20I series against South Africa 3-1. They had big wins in Durban, Centurion, and Johannesburg. In the last match, India scored a massive 283 runs, showing great teamwork in both batting and bowling. This series win was a proud moment for the team on South African soil in 2024. Overall, he has led India in 17 T20Is, won 14, and lost 3.
| Mts | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win % |
| 17 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 82.35% |
Suryakumar Yadav as captain: Indian Premier League
The Indian star made his IPL debut in 2012 and has been active since then. He played for Kolkata Knight Riders between 2014 and 2017, and the rest of his IPL career is with Mumbai Indians. In his IPL career of 150 matches, he has led MI in one game in 2023, which he won as captain.
| Mts | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win % |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
Read Also:- Virat Kohli Captaincy Record
Suryakumar Yadav as captain: Ranji Trophy (Longest Format)
Suryakumar plays for Mumbai at the domestic level. Mumbai have a history of producing some of the greatest of the game, and he is one of them, at least in T20Is. He has led Mumbai in six Ranji matches and won 1, lost 2 and drawn three as captain.
| Mts | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win % |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 16.66 |
Suryakumar Yadav as captain: Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (20-20 format)
The 33-year-old has decent experience leading a T20 team. He has done it with Mumbai during the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy. Suryakumar has led Mumbai in 16 T20 games during the SMAT Trophy and has ten wins and six defeats as captain.
| Mts | Won | Lost | Draw | NR | Win % |
| 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 62.5 |
Read Also:- Rohit Sharma Captaincy Records
Suryakumar Yadav: India’s Next T20I captain
The Indian team want a new captain now. Hardik Pandya, who has been the vice-captain for India in the white-ball format, is among the names for this position. But with Gambhir and new management, the name Suryakumar is coming up as a prominent name. According to Cricbuzz, India might go with Suryakumar Yadav as captain until T20 World Cup 2026. Hardik is an injury-prone player, which may work against him. India will soon announce the T20I captain who will lead India in the coming Sri Lanka tour starting on July 27.
