Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels that it will be difficult for skipper Suryakumar Yadav to match and continue the legacy set by his predecessor, Rohit Sharma. The Men in Blue had a memorable phase under The Hitman’s reign in white-ball cricket, winning two trophies, while coming agonisingly close to the 2023 ODI World Cup as well.
Rohit Sharma took over the captaincy responsibilities from Virat Kohli during a crucial juncture, and in his first assignment, led the team to the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, realising the need for a revamp to match the modern times, India turned a corner, and have lost only one match in ICC white-ball events since then.
Suryakumar Yadav had massive boots to fill after being appointed as India’s T20 captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. The team have arguably reached new heights in his regime, but needs to 2026 T20 World Cup to get into the history books.
Irfan Pathan opined that Suryakumar Yadav’s recent resurgence helps his case, but predicts an uphill battle for him to maintain the legacy set by Rohit Sharma.
“The biggest question is can Suryakumar Yadav carry the legacy set by Rohit Sharma? It is difficult to carry forward the legacy created by Rohit Sharma. The good thing is that he is back in form. How the captain approaches the World Cup is very important, everything depends on that. We got to see Suryakumar Yadav play as he used to before, that old approach and the same approach,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
“Whether it be 1983, 2007, 2011, 2013, or 2024, in all of the ICC trophies that India have won, the captain’s role and leadership, the way they inspire the players, that has been very important,” he added.
Team India have won ICC silverware under the likes of Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma, as Suryakumar Yadav looks to join an exclusive list to mark his reign as captain.
Suryakumar Yadav won the player of the series award in IND vs NZ 2026 T20Is
The captain returned to form during the recently concluded five-match home series against New Zealand after a dismal 2025. He struck three fifties, and was adjudged the player of the series for his 242 runs at an average of 80.66.
Suryakumar Yadav and co. are scheduled to feature in a warm-up contest against South Africa on February 4, before kick-starting their World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
Edited by Gokul Nair