India’s two most recent T20 World Cup-winning captains, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, expressed support on Saturday for Shreyas Iyer as the next T20I captain. They noted that Mumbai cricket uniquely prepares players for leadership duties.
Shortly after Shreyas received the official T20I captaincy, both Rohit and Suryakumar congratulated their Mumbai teammate at the T20 Mumbai event held at Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar stated he was very happy for Shreyas, having played much cricket with him in Mumbai. He highlighted that three consecutive Mumbai captains have advanced to lead India.
This reflects a notable pattern in Mumbai cricket, with Rohit, Suryakumar, and now Shreyas moving from captaining Mumbai to leading India in the shortest format.
Rohit, serving as ambassador for T20 Mumbai, explained that the competitive environment in Mumbai cricket helps develop captains for higher roles. He said representing Mumbai teaches valuable lessons, and nothing comes easily, requiring players to earn respect and captaincy.
Rohit also praised Suryakumar’s leadership, including reaching the World Cup final, and expressed confidence in Shreyas based on his franchise captaincy experience. He noted Suryakumar’s late India debut at age 31 showed persistence in seizing opportunities.
