Yuvraj Singh, the brand ambassador for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, wants to witness his close friend, Rohit Sharma leading the Indian team to victory and winning the coveted World Cup medal as captain. Currently, in the US to promote the T20 World Cup and has also attended the Miami Formula One Grand Prix, Yuvraj played a pivotal role in India’s triumphs in both T20Is (2007) and ODIs (2011) World Cups. Notably, he was awarded the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the 2011 ODI World Cup, which India won under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Yuvraj stresses the importance of having a captain who can make decisive calls under pressure, and he firmly believes Rohit is the ideal candidate for the role in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
When asked about Rohit’s significance in the upcoming tournament, Yuvraj expressed his unequivocal support for the Hitman to continue leading the side. “(Rohit’s presence is going to be) very crucial. I think we need a really good captain, a sensible captain who takes decisions well under pressure. And he’s the one to take them,” T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador Yuvraj said. “He was the captain when we lost in the (Cricket World Cup) 50-over final (in 2023). He has won five IPL trophies as a captain. I think we need somebody like him to captain India.”
YUVI-ROHIT BOND
The bond between Yuvraj and Rohit traces back to their early days in the Indian setup, where Yuvraj stood as one of Rohit’s closest companions within the team. Their connection deepened as Yuvraj was alongside Rohit when he made his debut for India. Young Hitman stepped onto the international cricket scene after Yuvraj’s dismissal, marking his first appearance against Ireland in 2007.
This bond reached its pinnacle in 2019 when Yuvraj, in his final season as an active cricketer, played under Rohit’s captaincy at Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. Following the tournament, Yuvraj bid farewell to all forms of cricket in June 2019. Yuvraj reflected on his first impression of Rohit, who entered the Indian team at just 17 years old. He spoke highly of the Indian captain, highlighting his humility, camaraderie, and leadership qualities, both on and off the field.
“Very poor English,” Yuvraj said jokingly. “Very funny guy. From the streets of Borivali (in Mumbai), we always tease him. But a great guy at heart. The more success he’s had, he has never changed as a person. That’s the beauty of Rohit Sharma. Fun-loving, always having fun with the guys, A great leader on the park and one of my closest friends from cricket. I really want to see Rohit Sharma with a World Cup trophy and a World Cup medal. He really deserves it.”