Rohit Defends Suryakumar After Captaincy Snub, Praises His Resilience

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has backed Suryakumar Yadav after the batter was stripped of the T20I captaincy and dropped from India’s squads for the upcoming series against Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Mumbai T20 League, Rohit said Suryakumar’s career has been defined by perseverance and resilience, noting that the batter had to wait until his thirties to make his international debut.

“I’m pretty sure nothing has come easy, especially for Surya. He made his India debut at 30 or 31, if I’m not wrong. He never gave up, always stayed in the fight, and when the opportunity came, he grabbed it with both hands,” Rohit said.

The comments came a day after the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee named Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar despite the latter leading India to T20 World Cup titles in 2024 and 2026 and overseeing an unbeaten run in bilateral T20I series during his tenure.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited Suryakumar’s recent form and the need to build a team for the 2028 T20 World Cup and the Los Angeles Olympics as reasons behind the change. A disappointing IPL 2026 season with the Mumbai Indians ultimately contributed to his exclusion.

Rohit also expressed confidence in Shreyas’s leadership abilities, pointing to his captaincy experience in the IPL.

“Looking at how he has captained in the last few years for his franchise, I’m sure he’s going to have a good time,” Rohit said.

He added that representing and leading Mumbai cricket teaches players valuable lessons about earning respect and responsibility.

“Nothing comes easy here. You have to earn it, and captaincy is no different. You have to earn the respect of the people around you, and all these guys have done that,” he said.

Shreyas’s first T20I appearance since December 2023 will now come as India’s captain when the team takes on Ireland in a series beginning on June 26.