"He has led us to four ICC events final.." Suryakumar Yadav defends captain Rohit Sharma amid fitness row

Rohit Sharma-led Indian team have qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has backed the country’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma amid recent criticism about the player’s fitness and captaincy.

Rohit came under fire after Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed labeled his captaincy as “unimpressive” and made remarks about his fitness.

Rohit will captain India in their fourth consecutive ICC tournament final, having led the team in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final in 2023, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Suryakumar Yadav defends Rohit Sharma amid captaincy row

Speaking to ANI, Suryakumar Yadav defended Rohit, reminding fans that he has led India to four ICC tournament finals. The Indian T20I captain emphasized that Rohit has been playing at the highest level for nearly two decades and has guided the national team to significant milestones.

Suryakumar said, “As a captain, he has led us to four ICC events final, it is a big matter for the country. It is really big if someone plays this way for 15-20 years. I have watched him so closely, how hard he works during franchise and international cricket. He is right there at the top. I wish him luck for the final.“

When asked about the upcoming final of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the 34-year-old said that if India continue to play the way they have been, the final will be just another game.

He added, “India has been playing really well. If they continue to do so well, the final would be just another game. I would like everyone to perform well, from player number one to 15 and the support staff as well.“

India remain undefeated in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, having won all four of their games. They secured a four-wicket win against Australia in the semi-final to confirm their spot in the final.

The Men in Blue will hope their spinners to work their magic on March 9 to secure their third ICC Champions Trophy title.

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