Rohit Sharma met with India's top T20 captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer, at the T20 Mumbai League today. The high-profile meeting took place at the Wankhede Stadium.The event unfolded just hours after the BCCI made a shocking announcement. Selectors removed Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of India's T20 international (T20I) team. They also left him out of the upcoming squads traveling to Ireland and England. Shreyas Iyer was named as the new national T20I captain. The three cricket stars gathered on the sidelines of the ongoing T20 Mumbai League. 

Despite the intense drama surrounding the captaincy swap, the mood between the players was incredibly supportive. The meeting was organized alongside Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Ajinkya Naik. It put a massive spotlight on the T20 Mumbai League, which runs until June 13. 

Rohit Sharma, who retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 World Cup, praised Shreyas' strong leadership skills. Rohit pointed out that Shreyas has plenty of experience from leading teams in the IPL, like winning the title with Kolkata Knight Riders. "Looking at how Shreyas has captained, he's going to have a good time as India skipper”, the former captain remarked.

The tournament has brought immense pride to the local association, as all three of these world-class national captains rose from the Mumbai cricket system. Both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) openly congratulated Shreyas Iyer on the Wankhede Stadium stage, showing incredible sportsmanship and city pride. 

Yadav stole the show with his humility. Right before leading his local team, the Triumph Knights, he spoke at the toss about how happy he was for his long-time teammate, "I am very, very happy for Shreyas. We played a lot of cricket together here in Mumbai. The most important thing what I felt is three back-to-back Mumbai captains going on to lead T20 for India. I think it’s a very proud moment and everyone needs to celebrate that.”.

Rohit Sharma backs Suryakumar Yadav post announcement of new T20I captain

India captain Rohit Sharma strongly backed Suryakumar Yadav after selectors stripped him of the T20I captaincy, praising his incredible fighting spirit. Rohit pointed out that Suryakumar did not make his debut for India until he was 30 or 31 years old. Rohit said, "He always wanted to be in the fight and when it came, he wanted to grab it with both hands, and he did it.” Rohit said that whenever a challenge came, Suryakumar always wanted to grab it with both hands, and he successfully did so. Rohit heavily praised Suryakumar for leading India to a T20 World Cup title earlier this year. Rohit summarized Suryakumar's journey by saying that ""Nothing has ever come easy for the Mumbai star. It is a tough grind and a tough road here. But that is exactly what makes you a better cricketer and a better person.”

Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) smashed 48 runs off just 24 balls for the Triumph Knights MNE today. Playing against the SoBo Mumbai Falcons at the Wankhede Stadium, the ⁠Triumph Knights skipper batted in the first innings and put on a show right after losing his Indian T20I captaincy. Yadav came out to bat with immense pressure on his shoulders following the BCCI’s major selection announcement. He answered his critics by scoring at a blistering strike rate of 200, anchoring the top order for his domestic side. Shreyas Iyer, who replaced SKY as India's T20I captain, also played in today's tournament fixtures but was dismissed cheaply for just 5 runs.