Suryakumar Yadav, India’s newly appointed T20I skipper, has drawn inspiration from Rohit Sharma’s leadership style, focusing on understanding players’ psyche and fostering a strong team bond on and off the field.
As India gears up for the first T20I against South Africa, Suryakumar reflected on how Rohit’s leadership has shaped his own captaincy approach.
Suryakumar admitted that he closely studied Rohit’s method during their years together with Mumbai Indians and the Mumbai Ranji team.
“When I am on the ground, I keep noticing him. How his body language is, how he keeps calm, and how he treats his players. I know what he wants from them,” Surya said.
“I have taken that route as he has been successful. Obviously, I’ve put my own masala in it,” he added with a laugh.
A key takeaway from Rohit’s leadership for Surya has been the importance of maintaining balance, especially during challenging times.
“Winning and losing is part of sports. Sometimes you do well, and sometimes you don’t,” Surya said.
Reflecting on India’s recent 0-3 defeat against New Zealand, he added, “In life, balance is important. After doing well or even if you lose, your character should not change. This is one quality a sportsman should have.”
For Surya, leadership extends beyond tactical decisions on the field. “A leader is one who decides how his team plays a particular format,” said the world’s premier T20 batter. To ensure team cohesion, he emphasizes building strong relationships off the field.
“From a leader, you expect how much time one spends with his guys to build that comfort level,” Surya explained. “Even when I am not playing, I try to hang out with players, have a meal with them. Little things done off the field reflect on the on-field performance.”
Surya’s leadership philosophy includes giving players the freedom to express themselves while understanding their strengths and weaknesses. “You have to understand what’s going on in their minds. There needs to be a comfort level. The freedom to express themselves is very important, and I am trying to give them that,” he said.
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