India’s newly appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has kept the mood cheerful in the dressing room ahead of the Sri Lanka T20I. The team will play six white-ball matches on their tour of the island nation, starting from July 27.

Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as the captain of the T20I team after the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. The batsman was given preference ahead of Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain of the team in the tournament and was originally slated to captain the team.

But Hardik Pandya’s injury history and workload management did not play in his favour and so Suryakumar Yadav was given the nod. His first assignment will be against the Sri Lankan team and along with him, it will also be the first assignment of Gautam Gambhir, who will be the head coach of the team.

Suryakumar Yadav will lead the young squad as India is going through a transition. Veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja have retired and the team will now look to prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup under the leadership of the No. 2-ranked batsman.

One of the vital cogs of the Indian team for the T20I setup would be Rinku Singh. The left-hander has been one of the consistent batsmen for the team in the setup but unfortunately he had to face a snub from the Indian team for the T20 World Cup as Shivam Dube was preferred over him in the squad.

However, Rinku Singh is now expected to get more time to defend himself. Ahead of the first match against Sri Lanka, the batsman was seen having fun with captain Suryakumar Yadav. The duo posed for the photo at the Sri Lankan airport.

But what caught the attention of many was the caption of the photo posted by Suryakumar Yadav. At the top of the image, he wrote, “God’s plan,” which is a phrase often used by Rinku Singh. At the bottom, he wrote, “Theek hai bat le lena.”

Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s latest Instagram story with Rinku Singh. ❤️😂 photo.twitter.com/05jge8xMVh

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) July 23, 2024

For the unversed, Rinku Singh recently grabbed headlines after asking Virat Kohli for a bat during the IPL 2024. The moment was quite funny as it was the second time he asked for a bat after smashing the first one. However, the top-order batsman refused to give it to him but Rinku did not give up till the time he finally got the bat.

Suryakumar Yadav would like to start his term on a high note

Suryakumar Yadav will play his first match as captain of the team on July 27. The Indian national cricket team has arrived in Sri Lanka and has begun its preparations for the series. It will be a great opportunity for the team to rectify its combination as it prepares for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav would be keen to lead from the front. He has been the backbone of the team in the shortest format of the game. Along with him, Gautam Gambhir would also want to start his stint at the top as the duo looks to take the Indian team forward.