Suryakumar Yadav defends 'leader' Rohit Sharma, reveals captaincy inspiration

India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav defended Test captain Rohit Sharma, saying he learnt the art of staying balanced in the highs and lows of the sport from his Mumbai Indians teammate. Speaking to the press on the eve of the T20I series opener in Durban, Suryakumar Yadav was asked about the pressure on Rohit Sharma after India lost to New Zealand 0-3 in a home Test series earlier in November.

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"In sports, wins and losses keep happening. Everybody works hard, everybody works hard to win. Sometimes, it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I have learnt this from him (Rohit) only -- in life, being balanced is important. I have never seen his character change after his good and bad times. I have seen him grow as a lot as a player and as a leader," Suryakumar Yadav said.

"A leader wants to define how the team wants to play the format. A captain always wants to win, but a leader defines a style," he added.

Questions were asked about Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy after India suffered a shock 0-3 defeat at home. It was the first time a visiting team beat India 3-0 in a Test series with more than two Tests as New Zealand did the unthinkable.

However, the focus has shifted to the four-match T20I series in South Africa, starting November 8. India have travelled with a young squad, which has seven members from the T20 World Cup-winning team. The Test regulars, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah, are not part of the squad as they will be heading to Australia for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Suryakumar Yadav, however, will have familiarity as he led almost the same bunch of players against Bangladesh at home last month.

Shedding light on his leadership style, Suryakumar said it's not as aggressive as his batting and that it has a heavy influence of Rohit Sharma's style with a bit of his own 'masala'.

"I have learnt a lot from Rohit bhai. I have played with him in franchise cricket. When I am on the ground, I keep noticing him -- how his body language is, how he handles pressure, how he remains calm and how he talks to his bowlers and treats others. And you expect your leader to spend time with you.

"I try to do the same. When I am not on the field, I try to spend time with the players, eat with them go out for dinner and travel with them. I think these small things reflect on the ground," he added.

"If you want to earn your teammate’s respect and you want him to deliver, these things matter," he added.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH PLAYERS: SURYAKUMAR

Suryakumar went on to elaborate on the finer aspects of how he works his players closely and how he tries to get the best out of them, reiteratig that he learned the aspect of spending time off the field with players from Rohit.

"As a leader, my batting style is completely different. I can’t be as aggressive as a captain. But, yeah, you have to understand what’s happening around you, I have to understand what my players are thinking. Giving them a comfort zone is very important. Everybody has their skills. They also want to come out and express themselves. That freedom is very important.

"Off the field, I spend a lot of time with them. Getting to know one another is important. I try and assess their strengths and see when they can come of use for the team in pressure and crunch situations. That’s how I am on the field.

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"This format is such that you keep playing and keep learning. It’s so fast. By the time, you blink, this game is over. So freedom and clarity of thought are very important.

"I have learnt a lot from Rohit. I have played a lot with him in franchise tournaments. Recently, also, I also saw him leading in big tournaments and bilateral series. I know how he treats the players and what he wants from them," he added.

"That route, I have also taken. I know it has worked well. And then I have added a bit of my masala, I am taking the team forward," he added.

Published By: Akshay Ramesh Published On: Nov 7, 2024

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