Suryakumar Yadav announces India's new opening pair for Bangladesh T20Is, Sanju Samson gets new role in the XI

Following Rohit Sharma's retirement from T20 internationals after winning the World Cup, it was initially expected that vice-captain Hardik Pandya would take over the captaincy. However, during the recent Sri Lanka tour, Surya Kumar Yadav was appointed as captain, and he will lead India in the upcoming T20 series against Bangladesh.

There are rumors that both the national team and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians may consider appointing Surya Kumar in place of Hardik Pandya for the IPL. Ahead of the first T20 match against Bangladesh, Surya Kumar shared his thoughts on his captaincy role during a press conference.

“I am really enjoying this responsibility. I’ve played under Rohit bhai in the IPL, and he has taught me a lot. I’ve also captained during tours to Sri Lanka, Australia, and South Africa. It feels great. I’m learning how to take the team forward. I’m enjoying this fantastic responsibility. As for the IPL, we’ll see. Let’s just take it one step at a time,” he said with a smile.

Commenting on the challenges of a new venue in Gwalior, Surya Kumar acknowledged, “It will definitely be challenging. It’s a new venue, but we’ve practiced here for three days. We’ve learned about the pitch conditions, whether it will rain, and if there will be dew. These are the important factors when playing at a new venue. I want to play the same way we did in the last series. I don’t want to make too many changes. If everyone does their job, I believe the results will meet our expectations.”

With Rohit Sharma stepping back from the T20 format, the question arose as to who would open the innings in his absence. Surya Kumar confirmed, “Sanju Samson will be the second opener. He will play in this series. Honestly, we didn’t feel any major gap. We’ve practiced here for three days, and T20 cricket generally has good pitches. It seems like we have a good pitch to work with.”

As the series approaches, all eyes will be on Surya Kumar and his leadership as India takes on Bangladesh in the T20 format.