Suryakumar Yadav has reacted to his snub from the Indian T20I team. Despite leading the team to the 2026 T20 World Cup final, he was replaced by Shreyas Iyer for the tour of England and Ireland.
Suryakumar posted a brief message on Instagram, sharing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s graphic of the T20I squad. He wrote: ‘Wishing this highly skilled group all the best for challenges ahead’ with a few emojis, including the Indian flag and a ‘nazar’.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Instagram story. pic.twitter.com/7CGiqazniN
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 6, 2026
It seems like Suryakumar has played his last match for India, as the 35-year-old was not selected in the squad as a batter for the Ireland and England T20Is. Since winning the World
Cup, he spoke several times about his wish to play the 2028 Olympics but it wasn’t to be.
Ajit Agarkar explains the decision to drop Suryakumar Yadav
To explain the call to replace Suryakumar with Shreyas, chief selector Ajit Agarkar pointed to the former’s age and batting form. In the last two years, the Mumbaikar had averaged in the low 20s, with only a couple of good knocks across internationals and the IPL.
“With regards to Surya, obviously it’s a tough one having just won the World Cup, but as it happens after most World Cups, we try and reassess what your best way forward is,” Agarkar said in the BCCI press conference in Mumbai. “(It was) partly his own form, but also looking at the next two-year cycle or a little bit more – till the next World Cup – we thought this was the best way forward. As I said, Shreyas is a well-deserving captain. It’s a tough decision – someone who has led you in the World Cup – it’s not the easiest thing. Partly the form and partly how we go forward is always at the back of your mind. Going ahead, with the new captain, in this case Shreyas Iyer, was in our opinion the right call,” he said.
