“Ritika told me”- Suryakumar Yadav reveals how he followed Rohit Sharma’s steps to shut out noise before Asia Cup games

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s Asia Cup 2025 winning captain, revealed how he followed Ritika Sajdeh’s advice about Rohit Sharma shutting out noise before the big games. India defeated Pakistan thrice in the tournament, including the final in Dubai.

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Controversies such as the handshake row, in which neither team shook hands, occurred during the group stage and Super Four matches. In all three games, Suryakumar even managed to escape it by tossing with Pakistani captain Salman Ali Agha.

The drama persisted into the post-match presentation, where the Indian team was forced to celebrate without the trophy, as they faced off again in the final. Mohsin Naqvi, the head of the ACC, the PCB, and the interior minister of Pakistan, was boycotted by Suryakumar Yadav and company.

Naqvi took the trophy and medals with him and failed to present them to the Indian team or the BCCI, despite the fact that he was meant to present the trophy to India.

“I deleted all social media apps.”- Suryakumar Yadav following Rohit Sharma’s way after Ritika’s advice

"I knew there would be a lot of noise," Suryakumar Yadav stated in an interview with The Indian Express, praising Rohit Sharma's wife, Ritika Sajdeh, for her counsel before the event.

"One can’t ignore WhatsApp because it’s the mode of communication. But before coming here, I deleted all my social media from my phone, be it Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Because if it’s on your phone, people send messages, and it’s a human thing to see it. I remember speaking to Rohit (Sharma) and his wife (Ritika) about how he cut the noise before big games. Ritika told me that he shuts all his social media apps on his phone. I also followed it, and it helped in my decision-making," Suryakumar Yadav said.

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Suryakumar also maintained that he hasn't lost his form, despite his poor displays at the Asia Cup.

"I get a slight start, and then the gaadi band ho jaati hai (the vehicle stops). It is not that I am not playing shots. I am playing shots too. I have not stopped anything. I can’t say that I have no form. I can only say that I am out of runs. So there is no pressure of captaincy. Now when you see Rohit Bhai, he has batted more openly in his captaincy. It is just that there will be a small hurdle, and I will cross it. God has saved everything for the right time,” he added.

Suryakumar Yadav has scored only 100 runs in his last 12 T20I games, with the best of 47*.

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