From writing history to the world etching his legacy in stone, it has all happened quite quickly for Suryakumar Yadav. Less than three months after leading India to its second successive T20 World Cup triumph, he has lost his captaincy and also place in the side he led to the ICC title. So how will Indian cricket remember only the fourth men’s team captain in its history to lift an ICC trophy?
In the pantheon of India’s World Cup-winning captains— Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma among them—Suryakumar easily is the least charismatic and lacks the gravitas that the legends around him exude. As a batsman though, he is one of a kind. A daring T20 innovator, he explored the areas on the cricket field that no other player in this land of world class batsmen ventured into. Is this the true synopsis of the Suryakumar story? Not really.
There are a few firsts that thankfully no one can match. At the dramatically eventful Asia Cup last year, he refused to shake hands with the rival captain at the toss, avoided post-match pleasantries and turned the end of the tournament award ceremony into a farce by refusing to receive the trophy.