"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have done it too" - When Gautam Gambhir shared his views on whether captaincy affects a player's performance

Captaining the country in sport is a huge honor. Only a select few get the opportunity to do so. However, leadership comes with its own set of responsibilities. When it comes to captaining the Indian cricket team, the job is considered one of the most difficult ones in the country given the high level of expectations from fans.

There has often been a debate in cricket as to whether captaining a team affects a player's performance. If we look at the scenario in the current Indian national teams, Test and ODI leader Rohit Sharma as well as T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav are struggling for runs.

Sharing his thoughts on the debate in December 2023, former India batter and current head coach had opined that captaincy shouldn't affect a player's performance. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, he commented:

"I don't think being a captain affects a batter's game. There have been many captains who have given great performances while being captains. It's about the individual mindset. MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble have performed well. Similarly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have done it too."

Gambhir reckoned that a cricketer is not a captain when he has the bat or the ball in hand. He elaborated:

"When a captain steps out to bat, his primary job is to score runs. You are selected in the team as a batter or a bowler; captaincy is an additional responsibility given to you. While batting, if you're going to think I am the captain, the ball or the bat doesn't know that you are the captain. You are a batter when you have the bat in your hand and a bowler when you have the ball. You become captain when you get out or complete your over."

Gambhir himself led India in six one-dayers and ended with a 100 percent win record. Under his leadership, the Men in Blue won five matches against New Zealand and one against the West Indies.

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Suryakumar Yadav's poor batting stats as T20I captain

Suryakumar took over as Team India's full-time T20I captain following Rohit's retirement from the format. In 21 matches as leader, he has scored 556 runs at an average of 27.80 and a strike rate of 164.01.

The 34-year-old has registered a highest score of 21 in his last seven T20I innings. He has been dismissed for a duck on two occasions, which includes the fourth T20I against England in Pune.