Former India captain Suryakumar Yadav recalled an important chat with Rohit Sharma after the 2024 T20 World Cup. India beat South Africa in the final to lift the trophy, and Rohit Sharma retired from the format after the victory. The Indian team was stuck in Barbados for a few days before returning home from the tournament. However, Suryakumar Yadav took over as India’s next T20I captain and he revealed how he was chosen to carry the baton and how being stuck there helped as well.

“I had captained in U-19 and my first-class team as well. So I had captaincy experience. After we won the 2024 World Cup, Rohit bhai retired. We were partying, we were stuck there in Barbados. The BCCI Secretary, chief selector, everyone were there. All the people involved in decision-making. Rohit bhai came and asked me about my take on leadership. I thought, why was he asking me this suddenly? I was not even in the leadership scheme of things. Then the chief selector also asked me this question. When we came back to India and had a break, Rohit, along with the chief selector and Jay Shah, decided that he was the right candidate to take the team forward,” he said. (via Mashable Middle East)

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Suryakumar Yadav also shared that the then-BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, called him to inform him about the decision. He also shared that Jay Shah had a vision to win the T20 World Cup 2026 and wanted to create history by being the first team to win the tournament at home as well.

“Jay bhai called me and said we are making you captain of the T20I team. He told me to handle everyone just how Rohit did. He had a vision that the 2026 World Cup was in India and no team had won it on home soil. It was a different challenge. So they gave me the leadership. And I am sure I did not disappoint them,” he concluded.