Yuvraj Singh couldn’t stop singing praises for Rohit Sharma’s captaincy skills, affirming that the veteran opener is the ideal choice to lead India in the upcoming T20 World Cup next month.
As Rohit Sharma gears up for his ninth T20 World Cup appearance, there’s one person rooting for him more than anyone else – his longtime teammate Yuvraj Singh. Since their first World T20 together in 2007, their bond has only grown stronger over the years. Yuvraj has always been vocal about his support for Rohit, and as the ICC event approaches, his desire to see Rohit lift the trophy is palpable.
Despite coming agonizingly close to World Cup glory in the 50-over format, with India narrowly missing out to Australia in the final, Yuvraj believes Rohit deserves another shot at the title. Rohit tasted success in the 2007 edition under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, and Yuvraj has full faith that Rohit is the ideal leader to guide India in the upcoming tournament in the West Indies and the USA.
Yuvraj, who serves as the ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024, is currently in the USA, promoting the highly anticipated event. Recently, he brought the T20 World Cup trophy to The Miami Grand Prix, adding to the excitement surrounding the tournament. Yuvraj himself played crucial roles in India’s victories in the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011, cementing his place in cricketing history.
While India hasn’t clinched an ICC event since 2013, Yuvraj remains optimistic that this drought will end under the inspiring leadership of his former teammate Rohit.
“(Rohit’s presence is going to be) very crucial. I think we need a really good captain, a sensible captain who takes decisions well under pressure. And he’s the one to take them,” T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador Yuvraj said in an interview with ICC.
“He was the captain when we lost in the (Cricket World Cup) 50-over final (in 2023). He has won five IPL trophies as a captain. I think we need somebody like him to captain India,” the former World Champion added.
Yuvraj praised the 37-year-old for staying grounded, despite reaching incredible heights in his cricketing career. He spoke warmly of Rohit, calling him one of his dearest friends, and expressed his belief that Rohit deserves to clinch both the World Cup title and the medal.
“Very poor English,” Yuvraj said jokingly. “Very funny guy. From the streets of Borivali (in Mumbai), we always tease him. But a great guy at heart.
“The more success he’s had, he has never changed as a person. That’s the beauty of Rohit Sharma. Fun-loving, always having fun with the guys, A great leader on the park and one of my closest friends from cricket. I really want to see Rohit Sharma with a World Cup trophy and a World Cup medal. He really deserves it,” he concluded.
Last week, India unveiled its squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rohit Sharma will helm the squad, with Hardik Pandya serving as his second-in-command. The team’s journey kicks off on June 5 against Ireland, followed by a highly anticipated clash with Pakistan on June 9. Next up, they face off against the USA on June 12 before rounding up their group-stage battles against Canada on June 15.
