Suryakumar Yadav finally breaks silence on his sacking as India's T20I captain; Know here
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Suryakumar Yadav was dropped from team after guiding India to ICC T20 World Cup 2026 win.
Indian cricket has entered a new phase in T20Is after a major change in leadership. Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to the ICC T20 World Cup title in 2026, is no longer part of the national T20I squad.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) handed the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer. The decision came soon after India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, which made the change a surprising call for many people and fans.
Suryakumar Yadav had quite a strong run as India’s T20I captain. Under his leadership, India did not lose a T20I series and also won the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. However, the selectors decided to look towards the future and selected a new captain for the upcoming two-year cycle.
Suryakumar Yadav has now spoken publicly about the decision for the first time. During a conversation with former India batter Aakash Chopra, he admitted that he was disappointed and found it difficult to understand why the change was needed after such a successful period.
Suryakumar Yadav opens up on T20I sacking
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Suryakumar revealed that he initially expected to continue leading India for the next couple of years. With the Olympics and another T20 World Cup ahead, he believed he would remain part of the team’s plans.
He said that he was surprised when his name was missing from the squad but decided not to react angrily to the selectors’ decision.
“I smiled when my name was not there. Because when I played cricket with the team for a year or two, and whenever I am playing, whenever I have been in a situation like where there is pressure, where things are not going my way. I have always smiled. I have relaxed,” Suryakumar said.
“After coming in 2026, I felt that, going forward, I would be taking this team forward for another two years. The Olympics will come. Then there will be another T20 World Cup,” he added.
“How Can This Happen?” Suryakumar reveals his reaction after getting sacked
Although Suryakumar accepted the decision, he admitted that there was a period when he kept asking himself why the change had happened.
India had not lost a T20I series under his captaincy and had also won the World Cup and Asia Cup. For Suryakumar, the results made the decision even harder to understand.
“I was a little disappointed. Because you have not lost a single series in two years. You have won the World Cup and the Asia Cup. Then you want the same thing to go forward. Because when everything is going well, then why? What are the reasons for the change?” he said
“I was thinking, how can this happen? How is it possible? We just won the World Cup, “ Surya added.
Suryakumar Yadav also revealed that the selectors contacted him two or three days before the squad announcement. According to him, the message was clear that the team wanted to move on.
“They called me 2-3 days before the team was announced. They called me, saying it’s time to move on. I didn’t react,” he said.
Despite losing captaincy and his place in the team, Surya had no issues with Shreyas Iyer taking over. He praised Iyer and said he would be ready if India called him back in the future.
Who replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain?
Shreyas Iyer was appointed as India’s new T20I captain after Suryakumar Yadav was removed from the leadership role.
Why was Suryakumar Yadav removed as India’s T20I captain?
Suryakumar Yadav was replaced as India’s T20I captain as the selectors decided to move in a different direction. His batting form over the previous year was also a concern.
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Amit Patel is a passionate sports enthusiast and a devoted Virat Kohli admirer who proudly supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Having been involved in sports from a young age, he has played chess at the district level and represented his college in various competitions. Amit closely follows Indian cricket, with a special interest in tracking young talents and rising stars making their mark at the highest level. Alongside his love for the game, he is an experienced sports content writer who enjoys crafting stories that connect with fans.