Mumbai Indians’ star batter Suryakumar Yadav recently broke his silence on not being chosen because the captain of the franchise ahead of the 2024 IPL season. The team had replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya, who returned from Gujarat Titans to steer MI. Many believed that Suryakumar, one of the senior and consistent players, deserved the role.
In an interview with News24 on October 14, he addressed this topic, saying, “No, no, I’ll absolutely not give it some thought. No, because even after I was doing well while playing within the IPL, I never thought that I should change into an IPL captain. Then, after I became the captain of India’s T20 team, I still didn’t think that way, since it’s not written anywhere that if someone is India’s T20 captain or leading the national team, then he must also lead within the IPL.”
He further mentioned that leadership will not be a right but a job given based on circumstances. Referring to domestic cricket, he added, “Now look, when I am going to play state cricket, if someone is already leading there, for instance, last 12 months after I went, at the moment Ajinkya Rahane was leading in four-day matches and Shreyas was leading in T20s, and every time I used to be available, I played in each formats. But I never said there, hey brother, I’m the India captain, so I should captain here too.” He emphasized that he learns even while playing under others and doesn’t see any issue with that mindset.
Thoughts On Offers From Other Franchises
Suryakumar Yadav revealed that several teams had approached him about switching franchises and taking up a leadership role. Sharing his thoughts on those offers, he said, “I mean, three or 4 teams had asked me what my plan was. They only asked, what’s your plan? That’s all. I said I don’t have any plans; I’m going to play here.”
“Then their next query was that they were pondering, in the event you come here, are you able to lead? So I believed somewhat about it, because obviously, if someone wants to present you responsibility, then if I am going there, lead, and create a legacy, that might be a distinct thing.” He admitted he did consider it briefly but ultimately decided against leaving Mumbai Indians.
Selecting Legacy And Loyalty Over Change
Explaining his final decision, Suryakumar shared that he thought deeply about his age and long-term plans. “Then I got here home, and we thought so much about it. Then I said, now that I’m 34 years old, if I were 27 or 28, and planning to play for 8 to 10 more years, then it could make sense to maneuver,” he explained. He admired players like Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni, who built legacies over time by leading their teams for a few years.
He added, “So I believed, if I am going at 34, lead for 3 or 4 years, and perhaps win two trophies, that’s good. But a legacy is defined while you play for a very long time.” Suryakumar concluded by highlighting his attachment to Mumbai, saying being near home and family mattered so much to him. Up to now, he has played 166 IPL matches, scoring 4,311 runs with a strike rate of 148.65, including 29 fifties and two lots of.
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