Giving Suryakumar Yadav the vice-captaincy is right because of the way he has performed: Aakash Chopra

Suryakumar Yadav has been made vice-captain for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies, while Hardik Pandya will be leading the side in five-match series, starting on August 3 at Tauroba. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra backed Suryakumar for this role as he stated that the star Indian batter got this promotion in the squad because of his performance. 

Yadav has been a consistent part of team India in the 20 over format since making his debut in 2021. In no time, he has become a reliable batter, who can play unorthodox shots and can play a finishing role in the Indian team. The 32-year-old in 48 T20I matches he played has a 45-plus average and has hit three hundred with a strike rate of above 175. Suryakumar's success in 20 over format is majorly credited to Indian Premier League (IPL), and hence his IPL 2023 performance will also be regarded for this new role.

"The Indian team has been selected for the T20I series against West Indies. Hardik Pandya is the captain and Suryakumar Yadav is the vice-captain. Giving him the vice-captaincy is right because of the way he has performed," said Chopra on his YouTube channel. 

The Men in Blue, after their failed campaign in the 2022 T20 World Cup, are surely experimenting with different positions in the squad. In the absence of senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the five T20Is in the Caribbean, Suryakumar has got the opportunity and he will surely be looking to impress the selectors. 

“It's not just the seniority in the side but if you see otherwise as well, he had come with a lot of cricketing experience. He has been a late bloomer slightly but vice-captain, I think a very good choice," he further added.

“Hardik Pandya, who had been given the captaincy after the T20 World Cup - it seems like that's now a final fixture, that Hardik Pandya will lead the Indian T20 team for times to come, which means until the upcoming World Cup," concluded the former Indian batter. 

Hardik Pandya looks forward to the new challenge

Whereas in the context of the series, team India will surely be looking to perform well in limited overs format, as this series includes two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. Although the Men in Blue, in the last 20 over format series against New Zealand, were victorious under Hardik's leadership, Suryakumar was the pillar for the home side in that series. At this moment, he will be looking to extend his IPL 2023 form in the upcoming T20I series against West Indies to cement his leadership role.