Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about India’s decision to hand the T20I captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, admitting that he was disappointed to lose the leadership role despite having complete faith in his former teammate. Yadav stressed that he never questioned Iyer’s credentials but struggled to understand why the change was necessary after such a successful run under his captaincy. Suryakumar had led India through an impressive period in T20I cricket, during which the team went two years without losing a bilateral series. His tenure also included major triumphs at the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup, making the leadership change particularly difficult for him to process.
Iyer was subsequently appointed India’s new T20I captain after building a strong reputation as a leader in the Indian Premier League. He guided his team to the IPL final in 2025 and continued his impressive form in 2026, scoring 498 runs at an average of 55.13. Having played alongside Iyer extensively, Suryakumar was quick to acknowledge his qualities as a batter, leader and person. He made it clear that his disappointment was not directed towards Iyer or his appointment.
“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,” Suryakumar Yadav said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel.
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The biggest question for Suryakumar was why India felt the need to make a leadership change when the team was performing consistently well. The T20 World Cup and Asia Cup victories had further strengthened his belief that the existing leadership group could continue guiding India successfully.
“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.
🚨 Suryakumar Yadav statement on dropped from the team after winning the T20 World Cup 26 🚨
“The one he chose, I played a lot of cricket with Shreyas, he is a good player, good human being & good captain also”.
“So I don’t think, why did you make this ? I was a little… pic.twitter.com/f7p1Kck3Dt
— Vikas (@Vikas662005) August 29, 2026
The decision also came at a time when Suryakumar expected to remain involved in India’s long-term T20 plans. With another T20 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, he had hoped to continue leading the side and build towards those major events.
Suryakumar acknowledged that his 2026 IPL campaign was not among his best. He scored 270 runs in 13 matches, a return below the standards he has set for himself. However, he admitted that he still found it difficult to connect that performance with the decision to remove him as captain.
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“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 ultimately reflect a combination of disappointment and acceptance. While the decision caught him off guard, he has maintained his respect for the selectors and welcomed Iyer’s appointment, underlining that his concerns were about losing the captaincy rather than who replaced him.
