India batter Suryakumar Yadav was stripped of the T20I captaincy and also omitted from the team when the BCCI announced the Men in Blue’s 16-member squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England on June 6.
Suryakumar was last seen in action in India colours during the 2026 T20 World Cup earlier this year, a tournament the Men in Blue won under his leadership. However, the right-hander endured a disappointing campaign with the bat, scoring 242 runs in nine innings at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 136.72. Notably, 84 of those runs came in the opening match against the USA.
His struggles continued in IPL 2026, where he failed to make a significant impact for the Mumbai Indians (MI). The veteran batter managed 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76 and a strike rate of 147.54, registering two half-centuries.
With his batting form remaining a concern, the selectors decided to move in a different direction, leaving the World Cup-winning skipper out of their plans. On that note, here are three reasons why sacking Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the Ireland and England T20Is in 2026 is the right move.
#1 Declining returns with the bat since 2024
Suryakumar Yadav made his India debut in March 2021 and enjoyed a remarkable start to his T20I career. Up until the end of 2023, he featured in 60 matches and amassed 2,141 runs in 57 innings at an average of 45.55 and a strike rate of 171.55, including 17 half-centuries and four hundreds.
However, his returns dipped from 2024 onwards. In 2024, he scored 429 runs in 17 innings at an average of 26.81 and a strike rate of 151.59, registering four fifties. His struggles continued in 2025, when he managed only 218 runs in 19 innings at a modest average of 13.63 and a strike rate of 123.16.
The right-hander bounced back in 2026, scoring 484 runs in 14 innings at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 161.33, but he failed to make a significant impact at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Overall, since the start of 2024, Suryakumar has accumulated 1,131 runs in 50 innings at an average of 26.30 and a strike rate of 148.82, with seven half-centuries. The numbers reflect a notable decline compared to the lofty standards he set during the first three years of his T20I career.
#2 Shreyas Iyer’s stellar run demanded a middle-order spot
Another factor that makes Suryakumar Yadav’s removal a justifiable decision is the outstanding form of middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, coupled with his impressive leadership record in domestic and franchise cricket.
Over the last three IPL seasons, the right-hander has featured in 46 matches, scoring 1,453 runs at an average of 48.43 and a strike rate of 165.30. His tally includes one century and 13 fifties, with a highest score of 101*. He also captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL 2024 title and guided Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final in the 2025 edition.
Meanwhile, in the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), Iyer led Mumbai to the title while scoring 345 runs in eight innings at an average of 49.28 and a strike rate of 188.52, registering one century and one fifty. Given his consistent run-scoring record and proven leadership credentials, combined with Suryakumar Yadav’s dip in form, Iyer earned a place in the middle order, which ultimately came at the expense of his fellow Mumbai batter.
#3 The age factor made a transition inevitable
After India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma retired from the format at the age of 37, marking a clear transition in the team’s T20 setup. A similar long-term planning approach appears to have gone against Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently 35 and will turn 36 on September 14 this year.
Given his inconsistent performances in recent years and the next T20 World Cup scheduled for October-November 2028, Suryakumar Yadav would be 38 at the time of the tournament. With future cycles in mind, the selectors handed the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, who is 31 and seen as a candidate to lead India across at least the next two T20 World Cup cycles.
Edited by Dev Sharma