'Difficult to carry forward Rohit Sharma’s legacy' – Irfan Pathan on Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan  believes Suryakumar Yadav faces a stiff challenge in trying to live up to the benchmark set by Rohit Sharma as India’s white-ball captain. While acknowledging Suryakumar’s recent return to form, Pathan feels that matching the impact and legacy of his predecessor will be far from straightforward.

India enjoyed a highly successful phase under Rohit Sharma’s leadership in limited-overs cricket. During his tenure, the Men in Blue lifted two ICC trophies and also came agonisingly close to adding the 2023 ODI World Cup to their cabinet. Rohit’s calm authority and ability to back players played a major role in India’s dominance across global tournaments.

Rohit took over the captaincy from Virat Kohli at a crucial point and made an immediate impact, guiding India to the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup. However, identifying the need for a tactical shift, India embraced a more aggressive brand of cricket in which captain led by an example. That transition paid off handsomely, with the team losing just one match in ICC white-ball events since the change in approach.

Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, Suryakumar Yadav was handed the responsibility of leading India in T20Is. While the team has arguably touched new highs under his captaincy. India has not lost a single bilateral T20I series under him and went onto win the Asia Cup unbeaten. Pathan believes true validation will only come if India can lift the 2026 T20 World Cup and etch this era into history.

"The biggest question is can Suryakumar Yadav carry the legacy set by Rohit Sharma? It is difficult to carry forward the legacy created by Rohit Sharma. The good thing is that he is back in form. How the captain approaches the World Cup is very important, everything depends on that. We got to see Suryakumar Yadav play as he used to before, that old approach and the same approach," Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Pathan further highlighted how leadership has played a defining role in India’s major triumphs over the years.

"Whether it be 1983, 2007, 2011, 2013, or 2024, in all of the ICC trophies that India have won, the captain's role and leadership, the way they inspire the players, that has been very important," he added.

India’s ICC success stories under captains like Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma underline the significance of strong leadership. Suryakumar Yadav will be aiming to join that elite group as he leads India into the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Encouragingly for India, Suryakumar recently rediscovered his rhythm during the five-match home T20I series against New Zealand. The skipper struck three half-centuries, finishing with 242 runs at an impressive average of 80.66 to claim the Player of the Series award.

India are set to face South Africa in a warm-up fixture on February 4, before opening their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7 a stage that could ultimately define Suryakumar Yadav’s legacy as captain.