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Rory Burns, the captaincy record: a tale of leadership to rank with the very best

Mark Baldwin takes a detailed look into Rory Burns’ quite remarkable record since being appointed as Surrey captain in the winter of 2017-18…  

23.01.26, 21:30 Updated 30.07.26, 18:12 4 Minute Read

Mark Baldwin

Mark Baldwin

Rory Burns will begin a ninth season as Surrey’s club captain in April, aiming to lead his team to the county championship title for a fifth time. And you sense there will be a fierce renewing of Burns’ determination to succeed after being so narrowly pipped to the post by Nottinghamshire last summer.

Yet whatever happens in 2026 his captaincy record already requires closer study, because what it reveals is just how tightly Surrey’s enviable recent achievements have been bound to Burns’ leadership.

Burns may not be the flashiest of captains. His tremendous consistency at the top of the batting order allows him, in that regard, to lead by example but in the field he can sometimes look too conservative; with experience (and great success), however, has come a clear willingness to be more proactive in terms of his field placings and bowling changes.

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Mark Baldwin

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