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Cricket Players‘Rohit Sharma literally walked the talk in World Cup': Suryakumar Yadav promises to replicate India captain in Aus T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in the five-match T20I series against Australia and wants to replicate what Rohit Sharma did as a leader in the World Cup.
It may have been only three days post since India's heartbreaking defeat in the final of the World Cup 2023, but significant developments have already unfolded for Suryakumar Yadav, who, at 33 years old, has been appointed captain for the side's T20I series against Australia. The opening match is scheduled for Thursday in Visakhapatnam, less than a week after India concluded their World Cup journey at home with a six-wicket defeat to Australia at Ahmedabad.
Suryakumar didn't have the outing he expected in the final; he was dismissed on 18 off 28 balls, looking uncomfortable against the Aussie bowlers who deployed slower ball tactics against him. Regardless, it will be a fresh challenge for Suryakumar with a fresh side as he leads the side against familiar foes in the shortest format.
Also read: 'Can't just get up the next day and forget what happened': Suryakumar brutally honest on return to action after WC final
Ahead of the first match of the series, the captain addressed a press conference where commended Rohit Sharma's leadership, emphasizing that the India skipper set an exemplary precedent, earning pride for his leadership qualities. India maintained an undefeated streak throughout the tournament until the final, where Travis Head's remarkable century thwarted India's aspirations, leading Australia to their sixth ICC Cricket World Cup triumph.
Rohit Sharma, the India captain and opener, set the tone at the top of the order, amassing 597 runs, second only to teammate Virat Kohli. Rohit's run tally is the seventh-highest ever in a men's Cricket World Cup, falling just 51 runs short of his own best effort in the 2019 tournament in England. The nature of Rohit's runs was equally crucial, with the highest strike rate of any top-four batter in the tournament at 125.94. As captain, Rohit led the Men in Blue to an impressive streak of 10 consecutive wins at the marque tournament.
‘Rohit Sharma walked the talk in World Cup’: Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav expressed admiration for Rohit's captaincy, noting that the Indian skipper 'walked the talk' throughout the World Cup 2023.
"That is one thing that will set an example for youngsters. What he has done in the World Cup was a completely different Rohit Sharma - he literally walked the talk. What was spoken in the team meetings, he did that on the ground. As a leader, he led by example and we will try to replicate the same thing," Suryakumar Yadav said during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Following the first T20I in Visakhapatnam, the second match will be played on November 26 in Thiruvananthapuram followed by the third on November 28 in Guwahati. The fourth match will be taking place on December 1 in Raipur while the fifth and final match will take place on December 3 in Bengaluru.
