Axar Patel confirms dressing room feedback for captain Suryakumar Yadav, will seek clarity from coach Gambhir on role

Axar Patel said India's new T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav is a ‘bowler’s captain' and someone who keeps the dressing room environment light.

Apart from Hardik Pandya's dodgy fitness, the feedback the selectors and the BCCI received from the Indian players tilted the balance in Suryakumar Yadav's favour as India's new T20I captain. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar hinted that the players in the dressing room felt more comfortable with Surya as their leader. "Why Surya was made captain? Because he is one of the deserving candidates. The one we know has been around the dressing room over the last one year, you get feedback from the dressing room a lot. He has got a good cricketing brain and he is still one of the best T20 batters in the world," Agarkar said during the joint press conference in Mumbai before the team departed for Sri Lanka.

India's Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav celebrate (BCCI-X)

Axar Patel's words on Surya proved that. The all-rounder said Surya keeps the environment light and cool and is a bowler's captain.

"I have spent a lot of time with Suryakumar. Surya bhai is a happy-go-lucky guy. He keeps the atmosphere lively, loves doing mimicry and such fun stuff. I know he will keep the atmosphere cool," Axar told ESPNCricinfo.

Axar was part of the team led by Surya that featured in a five-match T20I series at home against Australia last year. He gave a lot of freedom to the bowles and Axar expects nothing different from Surya now that he has taken over the T20I captaincy full-time.

"I recently played a five-game T20I series when he was the captain. I know he is a bowler's captain. He gives the bowlers the fields they ask for. And it was like that with me, too. I don't think there will be a lot of change. We will get to know now, playing under his captaincy about his mindset. You can't judge someone's captaincy by one tour. When we play more, we will get to know more of his captaincy style," he said.

Team India officially entered a transition phase in T20Is as captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja bid adieu to the T20 format after the World Cup triumph in the Caribbean. Hardik Pandya was the frontrunner to take over from Rohi but the selectors felt the need to appoint a captain who is more likely to all the matches. With Surya being a great one-format player, Agarkar said he was not considered for an ODI spot, so it was an obvious choice to go with him.

The Sri Lanka series will also begin Gautam Gambhir's journey as India's head coach. The former India opener replaced Rahul Dravid for the top job after the T20 World Cup.

Axar, who has been performing multiple roles for Team India in T20Is, said he would seek clarity about his role from Gambhir once they get to have a conversation in Sri Lanka.

"With Gautam bhai, yes, we will go to Sri Lanka, there will be meetings, we will exchange a few thoughts and after that I will get to know exactly what my role is and what he thinks. I will get more clarity on that only after that," he said.