Gautam Gambhir may have given the final push, but the idea of elevating Suryakumar Yadav into the leadership role first germinated during Rahul Dravid's tenure. One of the main reasons Surya leapt ahead of Hardik Pandya in the T20I captaincy race was that the Indian team management felt the need to appoint a skipper who is more likely to stay injury-free for a longer period and be available for all the matches. Considering Hardik's history of long injuries, that seemed unlikely.

The seeds of easing Surya into the captaincy were first sown after the ODI World Cup in 2023. With the coaches and selectors unsure about Hardik Pandya's return from the ankle injury he suffered during the early stages of the World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav was given the mantle of the T20I side for the home series against Australia. With Hardik injured and the seniors rested to recover from the heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the final, Surya did a fine job, leading India to a 4-1 series win.

Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey the thought process behind head coach Dravid, the team management and the selectors of putting Surya in the hot seat.

"First and foremost, when you pick a captain, you expect the captain to play all the games in that format. We, the coaches and selectors, have always felt that here's a guy who's gonna have a long future in the T20 format. He has mastered that skill. One of the best in this format. He and Klaasen are maybe one or two in T20Is now based on their current form. Just the pure impact he has on winning games for India is phenomenal," Mhanbrey told HT.

Surya has captained Mumbai in domestic cricket, but he had no experience leading a team at the highest level before the Australia and South Africa series. Unlike Hardik or Rishabh Pant, the other possible candidates, Surya did not have the luxury of leading an IPL team. However, both the old and new team management felt Surya was best suited to replace Rohit Sharma after he retired from the shortest format.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said importance was also given to the dressing feedback received for Surya's captaincy. Mhambrey said the right-hander has a good bond with everyone in the team and is particularly good with the younger members of the side.

"He's been with the team. I've seen him interact with the young guys. On one hand, we had Rohit and Virat, guys who are stalwarts, and then we have Surya, who is experienced but probably even closer to the youngsters. He is very friendly with everyone. He has that respect from the younger lot. The youngsters need to interact with him, he's good at it. So, has a good bond with everyone in the team. He has come up through the ranks, so he has a lot of experience and is a smart cricketer," the former India bowling coach, whose tenure ended after the T20 World Cup, said.

Surya is 33, and if he stays on top of his game, he can lead in the next two T20 World Cups. It feels likeMhambrey. "He has a lot of cricket left in him. He has a good four-five years of cricket left in him. With all this, I think he is a great choice," he added.

‘Give Gambhir time to settle into the role’: Mhambrey

Mhambrey backed new coach Gambhir to carry on Dravid's good work and take Indian cricket forward. "I haven't interacted with him much. With his experience, I'm sure he'll do a good job. But we need to give him some time."

Gambhir's first assignment is the white-ball series in Sri Lanka followed by Tests at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand. But Mhambrey believed his toughest job will in during the Australia later this year.

"We've got to be fair to him. Give him some time to settle. He has entered a very successful dressing room. It is on a high of winning the T20 World Cup. So, the expectations will be there. After Sri Lanka, we have home season, and then we go on a big tour of Australia. So let's be patient with him. Let's have a look at him a year down the line, six, seven, eight months, because there are important series coming after this year."

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