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Former fast bowler Ashish Nehra believes that Team India's new head coach Gautam Gambhir picked Suryakumar Yadav as the side's T20I captain as the two have previously worked together for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He mentioned that Gambhir has a good idea about the swashbuckling batter's leadership abilities.
Hardik Pandya was expected to be the Men in Blue's skipper in the format after Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement following the 2024 T20 World Cup. He was India's vice-captan in the showpiece event.
However, the team management went with Suryakumar, with opening batter Shubman Gill named his deputy. Speaking about the move, here's what Nehra said during an interview with TimesofIndia.com:
"Surya played at KKR when GG (Gambhir) was there. So, it's not like a new coach has come in and Surya has become a new skipper. It's because they know each other well. GG knows Surya's capabilities and strengths as a player and captain. If we see other countries, they have had three different captains or two different captains for a long time. I am sure captain Surya will do well under coach GG."
Suryakumar Yadav's stint as India's full-time T20I captain began on an impressive note, with the side taking an unassailable 2-0 lead with one match still to go in the ongoing three-match series against Sri Lanka. India's tour of Sri Lanka is also Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as head coach.
"This is a good transition in the Indian team" - Ashish Nehra on developments post 2024 T20 World Cup
In the aforementioned interview, Ashish Nehra spoke about how India aren't scheduled to play a lot of T20Is this year. He pointed out that Rohit Sharma will continue to be at the helm of the ODI and Test teams.
Speaking about the transitional phase after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, Nehra said:
"The main captain is Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill has been announced as his deputy. If you look at T20Is, India will play 5 or 6 T20Is this year. Surya has been part of the Indian side for a while. Rohit is there in the Indian side and will be leading in the other two formats - ODIs and Tests. Virat is there too. After winning the World Cup, this is a good transition in the Indian team. You have a lot of replacements."
India will take on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I of the ongoing series at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele on Tuesday, July 30. The two sides will then lock horns in a three-match ODI series, beginning August 2.
