BCCI set to appoint Shreyas Iyer as India’s T20I captain replacing Suryakumar Yadav

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly looking to appoint Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. The selectors and the board men are reportedly not satisfied with Suryakumar’s batting form over the last couple of years or so, while Iyer has established himself as a solid T20 batter in the middle order with great success for Punjab Kings in the IPL.

Notably, the Men in Blue have been super successful under Suryakumar’s captaincy. He was appointed as the full-time captain in 2025, where the Indian team won the Asia Cup. He added the most decorative feather to his cap by leading India to the ICC T20 World Cup win in 2026, making them the first team to win at home, also becoming only the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to lift the silverware.

As reported by The Times of India, the BCCI may look to change the T20I skipper gradually and eventually, since Suryakumar’s batting form has been concerning but has often been clouded due to the team’s exceptional success and a dominant run. The Indians haven’t lost big series under his leadership, and his captaincy skills have been applauded by many.

However, his batting form has been pathetic to say the least. Once a No. 1 T20I batter, the year 2024 saw the beginning of SKY’s fall in runs. After making 429 runs in 2024 at an average of 26.81, the following year did not yield any good returns for the Mumbai-born. In 21 matches in 2025, Suryakumar made just 218 runs at a miserly average of 13.62, with his strike rate also dipping to 123.16. 

Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, has been good with not just captaincy but also his batting temperament and has been lauded by countless cricket pundits and fans. The youngster has remained out of favour from the T20I side, though. His credentials as an IPL captain speak for themselves, as he has led three teams (DC in 2021, KKR in 2024, and PBKS in 2025) to an IPL finale, winning once (2024).

At the end of the IPL, India will be playing a lot of white-ball cricket, starting with the home series against Afghanistan. They will then travel to Europe to play England for five T20Is and a couple of matches in Ireland as well. A packed calendar will see India face the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe till the end of 2026. It will be interesting to see how early or late the decision to change the T20I captaincy is made.