The newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav opened up on Hardik Pandya’s role in the team and said that it would remain the same. He also praised Hardik as an important player in the team and wanted him to perform like he did in the T20 World Cup 2024 as well. Many fans raised concerns regarding the equation between Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya after the T20I captaincy race. However, the two players have shown mutual respect and were spotted bonding during the training sessions as well.

“Hardik’s role has always been the same. He is a very important player for the team. The way he performed in the World Cup, I hope he will continue to do the same,” Suryakumar told PTI in an interview.

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav, who took over the reins from the T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma, said that the team would continue to play the aggressive brand of cricket.

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“The same train will go ahead; only the engine has changed and the bogies remain unchanged,” Suryakumar said. “Nothing changes; the brand of cricket remains the same. It (the captaincy role) doesn’t change anything. It has given me an added responsibility. It is good that now I can do a ‘walk the talk’,” he further added.

Suryakumar Yadav also wanted to take the path which was set by Rohit during his T20I captaincy stint as well.

“What I have learnt from Rohit is that he was always a leader on the ground and off it,” he said. “He was not just a captain – there is a lot of difference between the two. He was a leader who stood in the middle of the group and showed people the way. How to play T20 cricket and how to win a tournament? That is what I have learnt from him,” he concluded.