The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced star batter Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of India’s T20I side in the ongoing white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Following Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian Team, Suryakumar Yadav was inducted as the skipper for the shortest format of the game.
However, former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris termed Suryakumar Yadav as a short-term option for India, adding that Gambhir is preparing Shubman Gill as the future long-term captain. Shubman Gill has been named the vice-captain for both the T20I and ODI squads against Sri Lanka, which possibly indicates that he is being groomed by the selectors for a future leadership role.
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“I think he’s a short-term option. I don’t think Gambhir has a natural captain amongst the players that he has at his disposal at the moment. He is buying himself time with regards to who the next long-term captain will be. You know someone like Gill I think could do the job for 10 years for India, but he is not quite there yet. So, I think it was a very astute decision to bring in somebody with a little more experience, said Scott Styris in an interview to NDTV.
More interestingly, Suryakumar Yadav is 33 years old; the Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma turned 37. That suggests Gambhir and the BCCI do have long-term leadership options in their minds. Even at that age, Styris feels Suryakumar Yadav may lead India in the 2026 T20 World Cup; maybe after that, the team would find a new captain.
“If he does a decent enough job, then he might be into the captain at the next T20 World Cup. And then after that, you can look at Gill or any of the other potential options around. But yeah, I think it’s a really clever decision,” Scott Styris added.
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This is a strategic move on the part of BCCI and Gambhir that definitely signifies how immediate requirements in leadership are balanced with future plans. While Suryakumar Yadav’s experience and form turn him into an ideal short-term captain, the grooming of Shubman Gill for future leadership reflects far-sightedness toward the cricketing roadmap of India.
