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India<\/strong>\u2018s announcement of the T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland<\/strong> and England<\/strong> has sparked widespread discussion, particularly after the selectors removed Suryakumar Yadav<\/strong><\/a> as captain and handed the leadership reins to Shreyas Iyer<\/strong>. While the decision signals the beginning of a new era in India\u2019s T20 setup, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar<\/strong> has expressed surprise over the appointment and suggested that Shubman Gill<\/strong><\/a> may have been a more suitable long-term candidate for the role.<\/p>\n Speaking on Sony Sports Network<\/em> shortly after the squad was unveiled, Manjrekar shared his views on the leadership change and highlighted the factors that may have influenced the selectors\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n Manjrekar described Iyer\u2019s appointment as one of the most intriguing aspects of the squad announcement. The former batter pointed out that Iyer had not been a regular member of India\u2019s T20I plans in recent months, making his direct promotion to captaincy a significant development.<\/p>\n According to Manjrekar, when a player is appointed captain or vice-captain, it is important that the individual has a clearly established role in the team. While he acknowledged Iyer\u2019s credentials and recent performances, he admitted that the move came as a surprise considering the batter\u2019s absence from the national T20 setup for an extended period.<\/p>\n The selectors, however, appear to have been convinced by Iyer\u2019s impressive performances in franchise cricket and his leadership record over the last few seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cShreyas Iyer is a very interesting choice. He wasn\u2019t able to get a place in the T20 squad for the last few months. But now, straightaway, India\u2019s T20 captain. When you pick a player or make him the captain or vice captain you\u2019ve got to also make sure that that player fits into the squad and has got a confirmed place in the squad and that is where I think should been Shubman Gil has missed out because I think Gill has better credentials than Shreyas Iyer to be India\u2019s long-term T20 captain,\u201d<\/em> Manjrekar said.<\/p>\n While discussing potential captaincy candidates, Manjrekar stated that Gill possessed stronger credentials to lead India\u2019s T20 side over the long term. He believes Gill\u2019s stature in Indian cricket and his growing leadership experience make him a natural contender for future captaincy responsibilities.<\/p>\n The former cricketer also looked ahead to India\u2019s upcoming challenges, noting that the team will be playing away from home in Ireland and England before eventually preparing for a T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In his view, Gill\u2019s style of leadership and cricketing profile made him an appealing option for those conditions.<\/p>\n However, Manjrekar acknowledged a major hurdle in Gill\u2019s path to the captaincy\u2014his place in the playing XI. With India already possessing multiple strong opening options and young talents continuing to emerge, fitting Gill into the team consistently may have become a challenge for the selectors.<\/p>\n \u201cT20S will now be played away from India, Ireland, England, two venues and eventually the World Cup will be in Australia and New Zealand, and I believe Gill was better suited to take that responsibility, but that\u2019s only a cricketing thought. But how do you fit Gill in the playing 11 because you\u2019ve got two openers already doing so well with Sooryavanshi as your third option? So they\u2019ve gone for a captain who they could fit in the playing 11. Because Gill is an opening batter, he lost out on that opportunity or that appointment, but his time is not too far,\u201d<\/em> added Manjrekar.<\/p>\n Also READ: Suryakumar Yadav breaks silence after losing India\u2019s T20I captaincy to Shreyas Iyer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Manjrekar suggested that team composition likely played a significant role in the final decision. Since Iyer can slot comfortably into the middle order, his inclusion in the playing XI appears more straightforward than Gill\u2019s at present. India\u2019s top-order combinations have become increasingly competitive, with established performers and emerging stars all vying for limited spots. As a result, the selectors may have preferred a captain whose position in the batting order aligned more naturally with the team\u2019s current structure.<\/p>\n Despite missing out this time, Manjrekar remains optimistic about Gill\u2019s leadership future. He believes the young batter\u2019s opportunity to lead India is only a matter of time and that he remains firmly in contention for major leadership responsibilities in the years ahead.For now, though, India\u2019s T20 side enters a new chapter under Shreyas Iyer, with the selectors backing him to guide the team through the next phase of its white-ball journey.<\/p>\nSanjay Manjrekar surprised by Shreyas Iyer\u2019s elevation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why Manjrekar preferred Shubman Gill?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Team balance may have influenced selectors\u2019 decision<\/strong><\/h2>\n