Ex-India Star Criticizes Suryakumar Yadav’s Appointment as T20I Captain, Labeling it a “Third Choice” Decision

Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav has been given the responsibility of leading the Indian cricket team in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. This decision comes as Rohit Sharma opted out of the series and Hardik Pandya is unable to play due to injury. Yadav had previously captained the team in the recently-concluded T20I series against Australia, which they won. This has led to discussions about Yadav being considered as one of the captaincy options for India in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has a different opinion on the matter.

Chopra stated that he does not believe Yadav is a suitable candidate for captaincy. He argued that Yadav is currently the third-choice captain for his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, the Mumbai Indians. Chopra pointed out that with the arrival of Hardik Pandya at the Mumbai Indians, Yadav has now become the third-choice for captaincy, behind Pandya and Rohit Sharma.

Although Yadav has been appointed as the Indian captain for the South Africa series and might lead the team in Rohit’s absence and against Afghanistan, Chopra does not see him as a potential captain for the T20 World Cup in 2024.

Despite his doubts about Yadav’s captaincy abilities, Chopra did praise him for his performance as captain in the series against Australia. He specifically mentioned Yadav’s excellent management of the bowlers, particularly in the absence of a genuine sixth bowling option.

Chopra acknowledged the crucial role played by spin bowlers in the series against Australia, highlighting that 40 overs of spin played a significant part in India’s victory. He commended Yadav for effectively utilizing the available resources and making the right decisions regarding when to deploy spin bowlers.

It remains to be seen how Yadav performs as captain in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa and whether his leadership skills will earn him a place as a potential captain for the T20 World Cup in 2024.