Following the retirement of Rohit Sharma from the T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as a strong leader, earning widespread praise for his leadership and performance. One of the most notable endorsements for Yadav's leadership came from former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif. Kaif has lavished praise on Yadav, calling him the fitting replacement for Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain.
SKY took over the reins of India's T20I team last year, after Rohit Sharma stepped down from the role. Yadav has shown an innate ability to handle the responsibility with determination and effectiveness. So far he has led India in 24 T20Is, securing an impressive 19 victories. Kaif also highlighted Yadav's brilliant leadership in the Asia Cup 2025, where India have been unbeaten so far, winning against UAE, Pakistan and Oman.
“With the bat, he produced the winning hit, went unbeaten, and the way he replied to the media, talked about the things that show he has the ability as a skipper. The things that need to be taken care of on the day. Such a big game between India and Pakistan, and he turned out to be a true leader fairly. So, I do not doubt in my mind that he is a proper replacement for Rohit Sharma as skipper. The way he smiles while talking, his bat always does the talking,” Kaif said in an Instagram reel.
“Captaincy is brilliant. Hardik Pandya is bowling with the new ball; Abhishek Sharma is also bowling one or two overs in the middle. He’s managed things rightly. As captain, he has led in 24 matches and won 20 [actually 19 matches, excluding a tie] games. I do not doubt that he is on the way to becoming a great leader,” said Kaif.
In the ongoing Asia Cup, India have advanced to the Super Four stage, and they are once again gearing up to take on arch-rival Pakistan on Sunday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.