In just three months, Suryakumar Yadav will lead defending champions India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at home. This will be the most significant and demanding chapter of his leadership journey. Suryakumar has already created an admirable record as India’s T20I captain. He recently led India to the Asia Cup title victory that injected fresh confidence into the side. 

The anticipation surrounding India’s title defence was palpable at a special event in Mumbai on Tuesday, where the fixtures for the T20 World Cup 2026 were unveiled. Meanwhile, tournament ambassador Rohit Sharma, who was the architect of India’s victorious 2024 campaign, shared thoughtful words for Yadav now holding the reins.

“I would tell them to shut the outside noise, because that is something that we’ve created amongst ourselves, when there’s a job at hand, how to focus on that, and I’m sure some of these guys are pretty good at that. A lot of new guys have come in as well. They have settled in pretty nicely," Rohit said during the T20 World Cup 2026 schedule announcement ceremony in Mumbai on Tuesday.

“I keep meeting all these guys; I’m still playing. I’m going to go to Ranchi (for ODIs against South Africa) and meet some of these guys there who are going to be part of the T20 setup. There’s always a conversation that happens between the players, and I am somebody who likes to talk, discuss and get into their mindset a little bit and understand what they are thinking,” he said.

“I have always been that person who’s there to provide advice if there is one to be given or hear them out and see if there is a solution to be found for that. I like doing that. But again, these guys are having a great run of late. I don't think there's much that needs to be changed," he said.

India will start their campaign by taking on the USA in Mumbai on February 7.