The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain of the Indian T20I team, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. The leadership change comes as selectors build a long-term squad aimed at future global tournaments.
Despite leading India to a T20 World Cup title earlier this year, Suryakumar's recent lean patches in both international fixtures and the IPL 2026 prompted the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to transition into a fresh era.
Shreyas takes over the reins, having proven his leadership mettle in the IPL for several franchises, including a title win for KKR in 2024.
Former India skipper Rohit Sharma weighed in on the development, expressing his confidence that Iyer will have a "good time" leading the team. He also gave a heartfelt shoutout to Suryakumar’s incredible fighting spirit, highlighting his journey from making his international debut in his 30s to successfully leading the nation to the 2026 T20 World Cup title.
"Surya led the team to the World Cup, and now Shreyas has been appointed the captain. I am sure that, with how he has captained his franchise, Mumbai, he’s going to have a good time as well," Rohit said while speaking at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the sidelines of a Mumbai T20 league match on Saturday (June 6).
"Nothing has come easy for so many of these cricketers, especially for Surya. he made his India debut at 31, if I am not wrong, so that shows he was always up for the fight. When the chance came, he wanted to grab it with both hands, and he did," he added.
Rohit was also seen sharing a congratulatory hug with Shreyas Iyer. The 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain interacted with Iyer ahead of the Mumbai T20 league match between Triumphs Knights MNE and SoBo Mumbai Falcons.
Speaking at the squad announcement presser, BCCI chief selector Agarkar cited long-term planning and Shreyas Iyer's stellar domestic and IPL record for giving him the leadership role.
“With regards to Shreyas, we have seen what he has done over the last few years. Leading different franchises, he won finals once and probably had a tougher season this year after a great start. So, we have seen everything that a captain possibly can,” Agarkar stated.
“His own performances have been really good. He was quite close to winning the World Cup squad as well. Obviously, Surya was still there. There was no room for him. He is, in my opinion, a standout candidate with enough experience now having played in the T20 format.
“Like I said, Shreyas is a well-deserving captain. He was very close to always being on the team over the last couple of years. It’s just that Surya and the spots that he bats in were there, and he couldn’t find a spot. So, now that he’s found a spot, I think he’s earned it,” he added.
