Reports: Suryakumar Yadav stripped of T20I captaincy, to lose place in team as well

Suryakumar Yadav has been reportedly sacked from his role as India’s T20I captain. If the report is true, this could be a significant development, as the 35-year-old had led India to the T20 World Cup title just before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

According to The Indian Express, Suryakumar has been stripped of captaincy and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in consultation with the team management and selection committee, will appoint a new captain for the next cycle. The report also mentions that Suryakumar will be losing his place in the side after struggling with the bat since last year.

“The selection committee, BCCI and team management, in consultation with coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided that India should go with a new skipper from here on. Under Surya’s captaincy, the team did win the T20 World Cup but keeping his form and future in mind, they felt it’s time to move on. He won’t be considered for selection, and the decision will be conveyed to Surya soon,” a top BCCI official told the aforementioned news portal.

India’s upcoming assignment in the shortest format is a two-match T20I series against Ireland. This will be followed by five T20Is against the Three Lions in England.

Who could replace Suryakumar?

Suryakumar could be succeeded by Shreyas Iyer, who is the frontrunner for the captain’s role. However, Tilak Varma has also emerged as a strong contender after his impressive performances for India during the Asia Cup last year and the T20 World Cup this year.

It is intriguing to note that Shreyas hasn’t represented India in T20I cricket since December 2023. However, he has impressed fans as well as critics with his captaincy skills, especially in the last three seasons of the IPL.

Axar Patel, who was the vice-captain of the Indian team during the T20 World Cup, didn’t have a great stint as the skipper of the Delhi Capitals. It seems unlikely that he would be promoted to the captain’s role in the Indian team.

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