Suryakumar was stripped of the Indian T20I captaincy and dropped from the squad entirely.
Despite leading India to T20 World Cup title earlier this year, Suryakumar Yadav was dropped from the national squad entirely following an extended dip in form.
Suryakumar couldn’t score a T20I half-century last year, and also failed to leave a mark against the top-ranked teams during India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign. The 35-year-old carried his poor form into the IPL 2026, where he scored 270 runs in 13 innings at a low average of 20.77 for the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Shreyas Iyer replaced him as India’s T20I captain. The leadership change came as selectors build a long-term squad aimed at future global tournaments.
In a recent interaction with Aakash Chopra on the latter’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar Yadav addressed getting sidelined from the T20I squad immediately after winning an ICC tournament.
Surya admitted that his initial reaction to being axed was one of acceptance, as he tried to put himself in the selectors' shoes.
“I smiled when my name was not there. Because when I played cricket with the team for a year or two, and whenever I am playing, so whenever I have been in situations like where there is pressure, where things are not going my way, I have always smiled. I have relaxed. And this is what I have seen: the moments in the past when I have had opportunities to do well. I have been grateful,” Suryakumar said.
“Obviously, the situation that has come now, even I had not thought that this would happen. After coming in 2026, I felt that, going forward, I would be taking this team forward for another two years. The Olympics will come. Then there will be another T20 World Cup, another challenge going forward. But at the same time, what you think and what the other person thinks are two different things. It is important for them to respect their own thoughts. If they thought that going forward, this is a better call, they took that call. But I didn't react. Because I felt that this was their call. They took that call in that moment. Going forward, if this team can do well under someone else, no problem,” he added.
Yet, Suryakumar found his sacking baffling given India’s flawless T20I performance under his captaincy.
“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. 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 stated.
“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. Friends came, family came. Everyone said that it's okay. Part of life. But then, when they leave the house. We stay alone at home,” he further remarked.
Suryakumar further revealed that the selectors had contacted him shortly before the squad announcement and personally informed him that he would not be part of India's team for the UK tour.
“They called me 2-3 days before the team was announced. They called me, saying it's time to move on. I didn't react. Because it's not my fault. That's not how SKY has ever been. Whatever call someone took. He must have thought that this was better for the team. Going forward, this will be a good call. You took the call. You told me. There is no problem,” Surya said.
“I am ready. You can call me anytime. I am playing cricket anytime. I will continue to play. Whenever you feel the time is right. Things are right,” he concluded.