Shreyas Iyer Replaces Suryakumar Yadav as India T20I Captain

Hours after being replaced as captain by Shreyas, Suryakumar came face-to-face with the newly-appointed India skipper during a T20 Mumbai League fixture on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Suryakumar led Triumph Knights MNE, while Shreyas was part of the SoBo Mumbai Falcons setup as an Impact Substitute.

The two Mumbai stalwarts shared a warm hug before the start of the match, reflecting the bond they have built over years of playing together for Mumbai and India.

Speaking at the toss, Suryakumar put aside any personal disappointment and congratulated Shreyas on taking charge of the national T20 side.

“As you said, so many things are happening, but obviously very, very, very happy for Shreyas as he’s getting to lead the T20 Indian team. We played a lot of cricket together in Bombay. The most important thing, what I felt, is that three back-to-back Mumbai captains are going to lead T20s for India. I think it’s a very proud moment, and everyone needs to celebrate that,” Suryakumar said.

The comments marked Suryakumar’s first public reaction to Shreyas’ appointment after the BCCI announced sweeping changes to India’s T20I setup earlier in the day.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had acknowledged that removing Suryakumar from the captaincy was a difficult decision, especially after he guided India to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year. However, the selectors opted for a fresh leadership direction with an eye on the next World Cup cycle, citing Shreyas’ strong leadership credentials and consistent performances across formats.

Earlier in the day, Suryakumar had also taken to social media to wish the Indian team success, posting a picture of the squad on his Instagram story with the message: “Wishing this highly skilled group all the best for challenges ahead.”

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While his tenure as India’s T20I captain has come to an end, Suryakumar’s public messages throughout the day reflected support for his successor and encouragement for the next generation of Indian cricketers.

Shreyas Iyer replaces Suryakumar Yadav as India T20I skipper, then outshines him in Mumbai T20 with a match winning chase for SoBo Mumbai Falcons.

India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer yet again trumped his predecessor Suryakumar Yadav, this time at the Wankhede Stadium in the Mumbai T20. Chasing a paltry 148 posted by the latter’s Triumphs Knights MNE, Iyer played a match-winning knock to take the SoBo Mumbai Falcons to a five-wicket win.

Suryakumar endured a modest T20 World Cup with the bat, scoring 242 runs at a strike rate of 136.72 and struggled to regain momentum in the IPL, managing 270 runs at 147.54 for the Mumbai Indians.

On the other hand, Iyer didn’t find a spot in the T20 World Cup squad but scored 498 runs in 13 matches in IPL 2026, at a stunning average of 55.33. On Saturday, June 6, BCCI sacked Suryakumar from the Indian T20I team and replaced him with Iyer as captain.

The latter also outshone Suryakumar in their Mumbai T20 match. Put in to bat first, the Knights slipped to 19/2 in the fifth over before Nutan Kumar Goel and captain Suryakumar steadied the innings with a 56-run partnership for the third wicket.

But after the latter was dismissed by Yash Dicholkar in the 11th over, the Knights couldn’t build any more partnerships and could only manage 147.

In the chase, the Falcons were reduced to 41/2 inside the powerplay before Gautam Waghela and Iyer put together a 33-run stand for the third wicket.

Falcons were soon reduced to 99/4 in the 13th over Iyer and Awais Khan added 44 runs for the fifth over and took their team closer to the target.

On Saturday, June 6, the national selectors named Iyer as Suryakumar’s successor despite him not featuring in a T20I for India in over two years. But the former has been in strong form in the IPL, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 title and leading Punjab Kings to the final in 2025.

Quite a landmark day in selection: Surya’s axing will set precedent, says Ashwin

Former India off-spinner R Ashwin was critical of Suryakumar Yadav’s axing from the national T20I team just three months after leading India to the World Cup title in the shortest format, saying the move would set a “precedent” for the future selection calls.

Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in 2024, said Suryakumar could have been given more time to prove himself as a batter instead of being dropped from India’s T20I side altogether.

“I think it’s a very interesting precedent… just the whole, the way it’s been done, I’m a little apprehensive about the whole thing,” Ashwin said on ESPNcricinfo’s video show.

“I have no doubts with regards to that. But this is quite a landmark day in selection. Because this will be taken as some sort of a precedent when the next time such a thing ever comes up.

“… I’m just putting myself in Surya’s shoes and thinking about it. ‘Okay, sure, my batting form has let me down over the last 18 months or 15 months or whatever it is. I haven’t been in the prime form that I could have been. But then I managed to win a T20 World Cup for the country’.”

Suryakumar had a lukewarm T20 World Cup as a batter, making 242 runs at a strike rate of 136.72, and couldn’t hit form in the subsequent IPL for Mumbai Indians, scoring 270 runs at 147.54.

“Didn’t have the greatest of great World Cups as a batter but surely, just like everyone else in the team – the coach, the vice-captain, the best-performing batter, the best-performing bowler – he’s also quite been the best-performing skipper, right? He’s played his part.

“Can we put big stalwarts in his shoes? Has there been an instance where a captain who’s won the T20 World Cup has been left out without any ultimatum? I’m sure there’s been communication,” said the 39-year-old Ashwin who has played 106 Tests, 116 ODIs and 65 T20Is, taking 537, 156 and 72 corresponding wickets.

The national selectors on Saturday appointed Shreyas Iyer as Suryakumar’s successor, despite not playing a T20I for India for more than two years. Iyer, however, enjoyed success in the IPL, leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in 2024 and then captaining Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final in 2025.

“Very recently, we had this conversation on Shreyas Iyer deserving to get into the T20 side. I’m all for that. But I’m again, wondering… If I am one of the other 14 members in that T20 World Cup-winning side, I’m looking at one another and saying, ‘hey, we’ve been here for a while now. Haven’t we done enough to warrant a position as a captain?’

“The one thing that’s probably worked in favor for Shreyas is that he’s won an IPL as a skipper for KKR. I wouldn’t put any black mark on the fact that he’s been a wonderful captain in the IPL. He’s got a lot of tactics right. But, that said, there are team ethos that need to be well in place and well in mark. Axar Patel was the big choice as a vice-captain.

“And if the choice of vice-captain cannot step up into being the next captain, then we are going back in time and again, questioning those sort of things.”

Injured Virat Kohli replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal for Afghanistan ODIs

Star batter Virat Kohli will miss India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan later this month after failing to recover from a hamstring injury, and the selectors on Saturday named Yashasvi Jaiswal as his replacement.

The three ODIs will be played at Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai on June 13, 17 and 20 respectively.

Kohli, who plays only one format after retiring from Test and T20, had suffered a hamstring injury during the recent IPL final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.

Kohli had made an unbeaten 75 to fire RCB to their second IPL title in a row.

“With Virat, at this point, it’s just been less than a week since he injured himself in the finals. We will assess him (but) we don’t know the timelines yet,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar told reporters during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters.

“Yashasvi will be his replacement. But it looks like he (Kohli) might be fit for that England one-day series (in July) but again, it’s not a definitive answer.

“So, don’t hold me to it. I haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet,” Agarkar added.

An all-format player for India, Jaiswal has only played four ODIs since making his debut against England in February.

Historical context or future outlook

The sudden captaincy shift marks a dramatic transition for India’s T20I leadership strategy heading into the next World Cup cycle. By shifting away from Suryakumar Yadav just three months after a World Cup triumph, the BCCI selectors have emphasized future squad longevity and proven domestic league captaincy over short-term international accolades. Shreyas Iyer’s appointment highlights his tactical reputation developed during successful IPL tenures, setting a long-term precedent for Indian leadership transitions across formats.

FAQs

Why was Suryakumar Yadav removed as India T20I captain?

The BCCI national selectors opted for a new leadership direction for the upcoming World Cup cycle, favoring Shreyas Iyer due to his strong domestic captaincy credentials despite Suryakumar leading India to a T20 World Cup title.

When did Shreyas Iyer last play a T20I for India before his captaincy appointment?

Prior to being named captain on June 6, 2026, Shreyas Iyer had not appeared in a T20I match for India in over two years, though he maintained exceptional form in the IPL.

Why is Virat Kohli missing the ODI series against Afghanistan?

Virat Kohli was ruled out of the three-match ODI series due to a hamstring injury sustained during the recent IPL final while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Who replaced Virat Kohli in the India squad for the Afghanistan series?

Yashasvi Jaiswal was named by the national selectors as the official replacement for the injured Virat Kohli.