Former batter Mohammad Kaif has showered his praise for current India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, days after the Men in Blue beat Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided game in Dubai at the Asia Cup 2025. The 44-year-old believes Suryakumar is a proper replacement for Rohit Sharma for his ability to maintain himself on and off the field.The cricketer-turned-analyst credited the 34-year-old for handling things wisely despite calls for a boycott against the Men in Green amid geopolitical tensions between the two neighboring nations.The remarks came as Suryakumar led by example, smashing 47 runs off 37 balls against Pakistan, including one six and five boundaries, to take his team over the line. Following the match, he dedicated the win to India's armed forces. Notably, Indian players didn't shake hands with opposition players in alignment with the BCCI and the Indian government.Speaking on his Instagram reel, Kaif said:“With the bat, he produced the winning hit, went unbeaten, and the way he replied to the media, talked about the things that show he has the ability as a skipper. The things that need to be taken care of on the day. Such a big game between India and Pakistan, and he turned out to be a true leader fairly. So, I do not doubt in my mind that he is a proper replacement for Rohit Sharma as skipper. The way he smiles while talking, his bat always does the talking.”“Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead the side after Rohit Sharma? We got the answer in the previous pressure game against Pakistan because this was not an easy task. It wasn’t easy; there was a buzz on social media to boycott the India-Pakistan match. As a captain, the way he controlled the things,” he added.Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after leading India to 2024 T20 World Cup glory. Suryakumar Yadav was named India's full-time T20I captain after Shubman Gill led the Men in Blue in a five-match series in Zimbabwe last year.Suryakumar has helped the 2024 T20 World Cup champions win back-to-back series against Bangladesh (home), Sri Lanka (away), South Africa (away), and England (home). Now, he will be eyeing his first big trophy at the Asia Cup 2025 ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post“He is on the way to becoming a great leader” – Mohammad Kaif in awe of Suryakumar Yadav’s exceptional stats as India's T20I skipperMohammad Kaif further shared Suryakumar Yadav’s exceptional stats as India’s T20I captain, adding that he is on his way to becoming a great captain. Notably, Yadav has won 19 out of 24 T20Is as skipper.Kaif further credited the senior player for using Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma wisely with the ball. He said in the same video:“Captaincy is brilliant. Hardik Pandya is bowling with the new ball; Abhishek Sharma is also bowling one or two overs in the middle. He’s managed things rightly. As captain, he has led in 24 matches and won 20 [actually 19 matches, excluding a tie] games. I do not doubt that he is on the way to becoming a great leader.”Most wins as captain for India in T20IsRohit Sharma – 49 wins in 62 matchesMS Dhoni – 41 wins in 72 matchesVirat Kohli – 30 wins in 50 gamesSuryakumar Yadav – 19 wins in 24 gamesSuryakumar Yadav will next lead Team India against Oman in Abu Dhabi in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 on Friday, September 18. The Men in Blue have already qualified for the Super 4s with back-to-back wins over the UAE and Pakistan.