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"I know what kind of player he is...": Surya opens up about fear of losing captaincy to Gill

Rajgeeta Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav reveals [Source: AFP]Suryakumar Yadav reveals [Source: AFP]

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has been leading the team successfully ever since Gautam Gambhir became the new Head Coach. Under his leadership, India even went undefeated in the Asia Cup 2025 last month. However, despite his recent success, Suryakumar has admitted that he once feared losing his captaincy, and surprisingly, that fear came from the impressive rise of Shubman Gill.

Surya reveals honest thoughts on Gill’s promotion as Indian captain 

Interestingly, Shubman Gill, who is Suryakumar’s deputy in the T20 team, has now become the captain of both the ODI and Test teams. Earlier this year, Gill replaced Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as India’s Test captain and then recently took charge of the ODI side. Because of this, Suryakumar confessed that he did feel some uncertainty about his own role as captain.

"I won’t lie, everyone feels that fear. But, it is the kind of fear that makes you feel motivated. The camaraderie between him (Shubman Gill) and me is amazing off the field and on it. I know what kind of player and human he is. So it motivates me to do well," Surya told Express Adda on Friday.

However, Suryakumar was quick to add that there is no rivalry between them. In fact, he praised Gill’s leadership and their strong relationship, saying, 

Suryakumar’s own journey to the top hasn’t been easy. He made his international debut at the age of 31, which is quite late by cricket standards. In his second T20I match, he famously hit the very first ball he faced in international cricket for a six. Reflecting on that moment, he said, 

“If I was someone who got affected by fear or overthinking, I wouldn’t have played my first ball in international cricket the way I did.”

He also explained that his focus has always been on hard work and honesty rather than worrying about the future. 

“I have left that fear behind a long time back. If I am working hard and being honest to myself, the rest will be taken care of,” he said confidently.

As for Shubman Gill, his rise has been rapid and impressive. He recently led India to a 2-2 Test series draw in England and is now preparing to lead the ODI team against Australia. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav will return to action as India’s T20I captain when the five-match series against Australia begins on October 29.