I’ve learned a lot about captaincy from Rohit Sharma, I hope to apply those lessons in my own leadership: Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav is currently leading the young Indian contingent in the T20I series against Bangladesh where they have started the series on a winning note in Gwalior. The next match is set for October 9 in Delhi where Yadav and his boys would aim to secure the series.

The Mumbai batter recently opened up on playing under Rohit Sharma and the captaincy tactics he learned from his senior teammate. Yadav has played under Sharma's captaincy both for India and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians for years.

Speaking exclusively on JioCinema’s ‘Inside Out, India’s Suryakumar Yadav shared his thoughts on leading India in T20Is: “I’m really enjoying the new role. Our coach and my teammates have made it easy for me to lead and I have been feeling very positive about my new responsibility. At the same time, I don’t want captaincy to change my character, so I want to continue playing the way I’ve always played, and remain the same both on and off the field.”

“My philosophy is that I want the players to have the freedom to play their natural game and express themselves the way they do while playing for their states and franchises. When you join the Indian Cricket Team, the only thing that changes is the jersey, but the motivation to succeed remains the same. I want to be a leader for the team, not just a captain on paper. I always try to learn from my seniors and hope to implement the lessons I’ve learned from my previous captains.”

Yadav also reflected on the learnings he’s gained from Rohit Sharma: “Watching Rohit Sharma bat in the Kanpur Test felt like the T20 series had already started. It was a perfect Rohit Sharma-style approach. Very few teams can force a result after losing over two days of play, but winning the Kanpur Test was a testament to great captaincy and leadership. I’ve learned a lot about captaincy from Rohit, and I hope to apply those lessons in my own leadership.”

He also spoke about his strong rapport with head coach Gautam Gambhir: “Coach Gambhir and I share a special bond. He has always backed my abilities, and I can never forget that. Even when I don’t express something to him, he somehow manages to understand me just by my body language or by looking into my eyes, which is really special.”

Yadav further explained the kind of attitude he values in his teammates: “I appreciate when I see batters contributing with the ball as well. When players take that extra responsibility and try to contribute by bowling an over or two, it strengthens the team. If someone has a bad day with the bat, but I see them giving their all in the field, I believe that kind of all-around contribution can make the team a solid unit.”

Yadav also shared his thoughts on India’s T20 approach: “We want to continue playing the same brand of cricket we did during the recent T20 World Cup. If we keep playing that selfless brand of cricket, I believe we will continue to find success.”

Reflecting on his iconic catch in the T20 World Cup final: “A lot of people ask me what was going through my mind during that moment, but all I was focused on was catching the ball within the ropes. I’m really grateful that I was able to take that catch, which proved instrumental in our T20 World Cup win. Of course, there was pressure at that moment, but what happened was the result of a lot of practice in taking such catches.”