'Rohit's door was open 24x7 for everyone'

'He is someone who gets everyone comfortable around them, an inspiration to all youngsters.'

India's T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav revealed that he feels "unfortunate" about never having the opportunity to play under the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy stint with the Indian team, while praising Rohit Sharma as 'an inspiration' to all young cricketers.

Suryakumar, a late bloomer, made his debut aged 30 under Virat Kohli's captaincy against England in 2021 in Ahmedabad. He didn't get an opportunity to bat on his debut game, but soon announced himself to the world with his unorthodox strokeplay that was executed with a touch of flair.

He made his domestic debut for Mumbai in 2010 but had to wait over a decade for a chance to get a chance to play for India despite consistent performances in first class cricket. Last year, he was rewarded for his consistency with the captaincy of the Indian T20 team, as he took over from Rohit Sharma after the T20 World Cup victory.

After clinching the Asia Cup in Dubai last week, Suryakumar spilt the beans about losing out on the prospect to play under 'Captain Cool' Dhoni. While he has encountered him on numerous occasions in the IPL, the Mumbai batter has used it as a platform to learn whatever he can by observing the legendary Indian skipper.

"Firstly, I always wanted to get an opportunity when he was the captain of India. But I never got it. I saw him behind the stumps whenever I played against him. He has been very cool. One thing that I have learned from him when I played against him is to stay relaxed in all pressure situations, he looks around the game, sees around what is happening and then takes a call," Suryakumar said during JITO Connect 2025 on Saturday.

Talking about Kohli, Suryakumar was impressed by his ability to push the players to their limits and get the best out of them, with his energetic persona both on and off the field.

"I think I made my debut under Virat bhai as captain. I think Virat Bhai is a very hard task master. He pushes your limits, and he wants the best. I mean, all the captains want the best from all the players, but he was full of energy on the field and off the field as well. He was a bit different," he added.

Under Rohit, Suryakumar pulled off the crucial match-winning catch in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa in Barbados. 

He has played several games under Rohit's command in the Mumbai Indians and the Indian team. Suryakumar revealed that the veteran swashbuckler, who is known to make everyone comfortable around him in the team, kept his door open for everyone all the time.

"Then Rohit bhai, under whom I played a lot of cricket for the IPL franchise and India. He is someone who gets everyone comfortable around them, an inspiration to all youngsters. His door was open 24x7 for everyone. That's a different quality which I learnt from him and also from the other captains," he stated.