India batter Suryakumar Yadav has extended his support and best wishes to the national team ahead of their upcoming T20I tours of Ireland and England, despite being removed as captain and left out of the squad for both assignments. The BCCI announced India’s 16-member squad on June 6 for the two-match T20I series against Ireland, starting on June 26, followed by a five-match series against England from July 1.
The selection marked a significant transition in India’s T20 setup, with Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain and Tilak Varma being named vice-captain. Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also earned his maiden call-up after a remarkable IPL season.
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The announcement brought an end to Suryakumar’s successful tenure as India’s T20I captain. Shortly after the squad was announced, the Mumbai batter shared an Instagram story wishing the team success in the upcoming series and expressing his continued support for the Men in Blue.
Suryakumar Yadav’s story after being dropped from the T20 captaincy and squad.
How can someone hate this guy? Lovely guy always the first one to hype the players , the youngsters.
Class from Surya yet again. https://t.co/KJPDeEBzJ2 pic.twitter.com/6I97hUhQzD
— The Reverse Sweep (@trspodcastt) June 6, 2026
Suryakumar leaves behind an impressive captaincy record. He led India in 52 T20Is, winning 42 matches while losing only eight, with two games ending without a result. Under his leadership, India captured the 2025 Asia Cup and successfully defended the T20 World Cup title in 2026, defeating New Zealand in the final on home soil.
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Explaining the decision, chief selector Ajit Agarkar admitted it was a difficult call. He stated that the selectors considered both Suryakumar’s recent form and India’s long-term plans for the next T20 cycle. Agarkar also praised Shreyas Iyer’s leadership credentials and consistent performances, which ultimately helped shape the decision.
Despite his omission, Suryakumar remains one of India’s greatest T20 batters, having scored 3,272 runs in 113 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 162.94, including four centuries and 25 half-centuries.
