Gautam Gambhir wants Surya Kumar Yadav to be India's T20 Captain - Here's Why

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Amid the ongoing saga regarding India's T20 captaincy, Suryakumar Yadav has leapfrogged others to become a direct contender for Hardik Pandya.

Since the retirement of Rohit Sharma from the format, the question has grown increasingly regarding India's next T20 captain. With the arrival of new head coach Gautam Gambhir, things have taken a fresh twist.

Initially, Hardik Pandya was thought to be the sole successor for Rohit Sharma, but a few other names such as Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav were also popping up in recent weeks. And now Suryakumar Yadav has gained a significant lead in the race to become the next T20 captain.

Gambhir had a meeting with BCCI on Tuesday where Surya's name was thrown. Although Hardik has redeemed himself brilliantly, his fitness uncertainty keeps others in the race, and SKY can be a huge beneficiary. Though no decision has been taken, there is a good reason for Gautam Gambhir wanting him as captain.

Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir - A New Partnership Brewing?

Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav have an old association from their Kolkata Knight Riders days. After a couple of years with KKR, Suryakumar moved to Mumbai Indians where he has transformed into a world class batter in T20 format. And Gambhir has repeatedly said his only regret as KKR captain was that he couldn't utilize Surya's potential at that time.

With Gambhir at India's helm now, the new India coach is keen to compensate for that by rewarding the Mumbai player with a captaincy opportunity. Suryakumar is known for his calm approach and a mentality of steel amid adversities. He has already captained India in the T20 format and has captained Mumbai Indians as well.

Rohit Sharma spoke recently about Surya's composed nature after his excellent catch in the T20 World Cup final, where he took a scintillating catch to dismiss David Miller. Apart from that, the India batter is also a fantastic hitter and is regarded as one of the best in T20 format.

Gambhir has a knack for backing his players and it looks like he has already identified Surya's qualities as a leader and wants to give it a shot.