'Funny Guy, Sensible Captain': Yuvraj Singh One Of His 'Dearest Friends' Rohit Sharma

Yuvraj Singh, the designated brand ambassador of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, wants "one of his dearest friends in cricket" Rohit Sharma to lift the World Cup trophy as captain.

Yuvraj Singh is Promoting World Cup in USA

Yuvraj, who is in the US to promote the T20 World Cup and also attended the Miami Formula One Grand Prix, played a key role in India's World Cup triumphs in T20Is (2007) and ODIs (2011). He was, in fact, the 'Player of the Tournament' in the 2011 ODI World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.

Rohit is Right Man for the T20 World Cup Says Yuvraj

Yuvraj believes India needed a captain who can make bold decisions in pressure situations during the upcoming T20 World Cup, and Rohit is the right man for the job.

"Very crucial (Rohit's presence as captain). 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," Yuvraj told the ICC website.

— ICC (@ICC)

“He was the captain when we lost in the 50-over (2023 World Cup) final. He has won five IPL trophies (for Mumbai Indians) as a captain. I think we need somebody like him to captain India," the former India all-rounder added.

When Rohit made his India appearance during the 2007 Ireland tour, Yuvraj was already a key member of the white-ball team, and their friendship grew into a close bond over the years. Interestingly, Rohit was Yuvraj's teammate in the Indian squad that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.

Yuvraj Singh on Relations with Rohit Sharma

Talking about their friendship, Yuvraj jokingly said: "Very poor English. Very funny guy. From the streets of Borivali (Mumbai), we always tease him."

And then added: "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 (as captain). He really deserves it.”

India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York.