"From Nowhere, MS Dhoni Became Captain": Yuvraj Singh Recalls 2007 Transition, Explains SRH Call

With Pat Cummins unavailable for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Sunrisers Hyderabad have named Ishan Kishan as captain. The decision raised eyebrows, as many expected Abhishek Sharma to take up the role during the Australian skipper's absence, courtesy of his longer stint with the franchise and his rise over the last couple of years. Yuvraj Singh, who has worked closely with Abhishek in the nets for years, admitted to being disappointed with the franchise's decision to overlook the young all-rounder. However, he is glad that Ishan and Abhishek share a good relationship, which he believes will help the latter overcome this setback.

During a chat on Sports Tak, Yuvraj expressed his admiration for Ishan but reflected on his own experience with the Indian team when MS Dhoni was named captain over himself, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag, despite Dhoni being less experienced at the time.

"I was a bit disappointed. I also love Ishan Kishan; I have seen his growth in Indian cricket as well. Let me give you an example from a player's perspective: Abhishek Sharma came into the team before the World Cup, his state team won, he scored a hundred, then he played in the World Cup, scored runs, India won, and then they made him captain. In franchise cricket, if a player has been with one team for seven years, giving his heart and soul, captaining his state, and then doesn't get the leadership role, what frame of mind will he play with? But the good thing is that he has a good relationship with Ishan," Yuvraj said.

"For example, when I was in the Indian team, Bhajji and Sehwag were senior, and I was the vice-captain. This was around 2007. But out of nowhere, MS Dhoni became captain, whatever the reasons were. When MS was made captain, it was like someone was destined to lead and do great things for India. That is going to happen. But from a player's perspective, it is disappointing when someone has done so much for a team over many years," Yuvraj added.

Further commenting on the topic, Yuvraj said he isn't entirely on board with the idea, as he feels Abhishek, who has put in more years with the Sunrisers, would have been a better choice. However, now that the decision has been made, he stressed the importance of moving on and supporting Ishan.

"If Hyderabad wins tomorrow-which I don't think will happen, as I think their bowling is very weak-my words may be proven wrong, and I'm okay with that criticism. But my point is that you have to give a player the captaincy for them to learn. I think the IPL is a great stage for that. Communication is important, but I don't know the basis of this decision. I told Abhishek: 'This happened, and it is disappointing, but now we put that aside.' Supporting the captain and pushing harder because something has hurt you should be the motivation," he concluded.

Topics mentioned in this article

Sunrisers Hyderabad Abhishek Sharma Yuvraj Singh Ishan Kishan IPL 2026 MS Dhoni Cricket