Suryakumar Yadav opens up on Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as India T20I captain

Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about India’s decision to hand the T20I captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, admitting that while he had no reservations about his former teammate taking charge, the decision left him disappointed.

Suryakumar’s frustration stemmed from India’s remarkable run under his leadership, with the team going two years without losing a series and winning both the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup.

Shreyas Iyer was appointed India’s new T20I captain after impressing as a leader in the Indian Premier League over the last two seasons. He guided his side to the IPL final in 2025 and followed it up with another productive campaign in 2026, scoring 498 runs at an average of 55.13.

Suryakumar Yadav backs Shreyas Iyer despite captaincy disappointment

Suryakumar, who has played plenty of cricket alongside Iyer, was quick to acknowledge his qualities as both a cricketer and a leader. The former India captain insisted that Iyer’s appointment itself was not something he questioned, although he was disappointed to see his own captaincy stint come to an end.

“I have seen the team that they have chosen. I have also played a lot of cricket with Shreyas. And I know he is a good player, a good human being, and a good captain also. So, I was not like, ‘Why did they make him the captain?’ But yes, I was a little disappointed. Because you have not lost a single series in two years,” Yadav said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel.

‘What is the reason for the change?’

Suryakumar’s biggest difficulty was understanding why the leadership change was required after such a successful run. Under his captaincy, India had maintained an unbeaten series record for two years and also added major silverware to their cabinet.

The T20 World Cup and Asia Cup triumphs strengthened Suryakumar’s belief that the same leadership group could continue to take the team forward. However, the sudden change left him spending considerable time reflecting on the decision.

“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 is the reason for the change? What is the reason for the change? It was going on in my mind. I was sitting at home for a month and a half,” he added.

The decision was particularly difficult for Suryakumar because he had expected to remain part of India’s plans for the next phase of the T20I cycle. With another T20 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, he had envisaged himself continuing to lead the side.

Suryakumar admits IPL campaign fell short

While reflecting on his removal, Suryakumar also acknowledged that his IPL campaign in 2026 was not as productive as he would have wanted. He managed 270 runs in 13 matches, which was below his usual standards.

Despite that setback, the batter struggled to understand how his leadership role had changed so soon after India’s World Cup success. He admitted that he had expected to continue at the helm and help build the team for the challenges ahead.

“I was thinking, how can this happen? How is it possible? We just won the World Cup. Yes, IPL was not as good as how I wanted. We were sitting at home,” he concluded.

Suryakumar’s comments reflect a mixture of disappointment and acceptance. While he was surprised by the decision, he maintained that he respected the selectors’ call and had no issue with Iyer taking over the leadership role.