We are not celebrating Suryakumar Yadav as a captain: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has heaped praise on the Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his exceptional 73.68 win percentage as the T20I skipper, terming it outstanding.

Speaking exclusively on JioStar, Pathan also opened up on the biggest test for Suryakumar during the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as India is about to play a big game against Pakistan in Sri Lanka.

"We are not celebrating Suryakumar Yadav as a captain as much as we should, the kind of results he has shown as a leader. 73.68 win percentage which is outstanding no matter how good a team he has. It is a good team there is no doubt about that. There are some quality bowlers, bowling is our strength. We have top quality batters. We have a big group to handle the team, comparatively it becomes easier. You are not building the team as much as the previous captain but still you have to go there and perform so he must have done something right," he said on JioStar.

"Yes, he is not in form as a batter. It is the biggest test for Suryakumar Yadav. This World Cup will give a lot of challenges. Playing against Pakistan as a captain will be a big challenge because we are playing in Sri Lanka. Then the knockout games, when the knockout game comes, if we lose the toss and if we bowl second, we are defending and if the situation arises where the ball is getting wet, what kind of strategy and tactics he applies, that will be the biggest test," Irfan concluded.

India sealed a 30-run win in the fifth and final T20I of the five-match T20I series against South Africa, bagging a 3-1 series win.

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