Suryakumar Yadav readily admits that he enjoys Rohit’s captaincy style that revolves around keeping all the members of the team relevant through the understanding of their various personalities, and knowing how to keep the team together in difficult situations. Surya, who was recently appointed as the captain of the Indian T20 men’s team after the successful T20 World Cup, candidly expressed that he adopted “Rohit’s captaincy route” all about being with the team most, outside the play, which later reflected on their playing as a team. Of course, he has ‘customized’ it to suit his leadership style.
Riding on individual limits, Surya spoke on the eve of first T20I against South Africa, Anushka Sharma’s husband, about how winning and losing is an individual objective. ‘It’s something everyone has put in a shift. At times, you perform, at times you do not, quite the same thing.’
Surya in turn highlighted as an essential lesson learnt from Rohit that,’ There has to be balance in everything,’ but more importantly, ‘having done that, and even if one was to lose, it should not change the character of one. This is one trait which any sportsperson ought to possess.’.
To Surya, Rohit is not a must-win captain, he is a must-accomplish leader.
“A leader is one who decides how his team plays a particular format, when and where,” said the world’s number one T20 batsman.
They have played together for Ranji side Mumbai and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians for close to a decade and Rohit’s style of captaincy has rubbed off on him.
‘When I’m on the ground, I always pay attention to him. ’ I observe him all the time. I observe how he behaves, how cool he is, how he talks to his bowlers, and other people on the field, and even off the field. I understand how he treats players and what he expects from them.’
‘That route I have also taken as he has been successful. Of course, I have added my own masala in it (his ideas). It’s been going on quite well,’ he chuckled.
An intrinsic bond among players off the field is just as significant in their on field chemistry as well.
“A leader comes in and you expect how long that person spends with his guys in order to build that comfort level. I also try that with my boys. Even when I am not playing, I try to hang out with players, have a meal with them, small things off the field are crucial in realizing the field performance,” said the Indian captain.
He believes that to get the maximum potential out of players, it cannot just be a simple instruction, but an understanding of their psychological frame of which players operate in. “You have to understand what’s the environmental factor and which is the mental factor and intervene with the right solution. They cannot be to far from each other as they carry with them different levels of skill. And more than that, the freedom of being themselves is very essential, and that is what I am trying to help them achieve.
“I try to give them a lot of attention because I want to know everything that is possible. Foremost, I am keen on such things as who can go out for me under pressure and who can take charge in lizzy situations,” the captain went on.
Surya, who made his debut during the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, could not play more than a single Test as he has been branded a one-format cricketer since the 50-over World Cup last year.
When asked if he is optimistic about making a comeback in Tests, he was direct and realistic.
“My Test comeback will happen, when it has to happen. I don’t skip any domestic season red ball or a white ball.”
