Suryakumar Yadav had planned to lead India through the next stage of their T20I journey. After helping India win the 2026 T20 World Cup, the former India captain looked set to remain an important player for the team in the coming years.
But the selectors had other plans.
Suryakumar lost the T20I captaincy and was also left out of India’s squad for the UK tour. Months later, the 35-year-old has spoken about his reaction when he saw that his name was missing from the squad.
Speaking on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar said the selectors had already told him about their decision a few days before the squad announcement. Still, seeing his name missing from the final list gave him an unusual reaction.
“I smiled after spotting that my name isn’t there,” Suryakumar said.
He said that smiling has always helped him deal with difficult situations.
“Whenever I have been in pressure situations or when things aren’t going in my favour, I’ve always smiled, relaxed. I have looked back at the moments and been grateful,” he added.
Suryakumar tried to deal with the situation calmly. He had just led India to a World Cup title, but soon after that, he lost both his captaincy and his place in the T20I squad.
Suryakumar Yadav was looking ahead to the next few years
The decision came as a big surprise for Suryakumar because he did not expect his international career to change so quickly.
He was already thinking about the next few years. The 2028 T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics were among the big events he wanted to be part of.
His captaincy record also gave him confidence that he would remain an important part of India’s T20I plans.
However, his batting form became a major concern.
Suryakumar Yadav did not score enough runs consistently in international cricket. His IPL 2026 season was also not very successful. With the selectors looking at Shreyas Iyer as a long-term option, Suryakumar eventually lost both the captaincy and his place in the squad.
His situation was different from another major leadership change involving Rohit Sharma.
Iyer takes over as India captain
After Suryakumar’s exit, Shreyas Iyer became India’s new T20I captain.
His captaincy started with a difficult UK tour. India failed to win a match during the tour, which included games against Ireland and England.
Iyer then led India to a series whitewash against Zimbabwe.
His next big challenge will be the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The tournament will give him another chance to show that he can become India’s long-term T20I captain.
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Rohit also lost the ODI captaincy but stayed in the team
Rohit Sharma also lost his leadership role after India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory. Despite winning the tournament, Rohit was removed as India’s ODI captain.
However, he continued to play for India.
There have also been questions about whether Rohit will be part of India’s 2027 ODI World Cup plans. His recent performances have made the decision more difficult for the selectors.
Rohit scored a brilliant 138 in his latest ODI. That innings gave the team management another reason to keep considering him for the 2027 World Cup.
Suryakumar’s case was different. He lost the captaincy and then also lost his place in the squad. That made the setback even bigger for the T20 World Cup-winning captain.
Suryakumar Yadav still wants to make a comeback
Despite the setback, Suryakumar has not given up on returning to the Indian team.
He admitted that he spent weeks thinking about how he could lose his place so soon after leading India to a World Cup title. His family and friends supported him during the difficult period.
Now, he wants to focus on getting another chance.
The Syed Mushtaq T20 Trophy 2026 will give Suryakumar an important opportunity to show his form for Mumbai and prove that he can still perform at the highest level.
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Suryakumar also spoke about dropping Sanju Samson
During his conversation with Aakash Chopra, Suryakumar also spoke about one of the toughest decisions he made as India’s captain.
He left Sanju Samson out of India’s playing XI at the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Samson had scored only 46 runs in five innings against New Zealand before the tournament. Suryakumar admitted that dropping him was difficult because he had a lot of faith in the Kerala batter.
Suryakumar Yadav remembered speaking to Samson on the team bus. He told Samson that he might find it difficult to get into the playing XI.
Samson gave him a positive response.
“Do whatever you feel is right to make this team win the World Cup,” Samson told him.
His response gave Suryakumar confidence. The former captain later praised Samson’s attitude.
“Aise bhi log hote hain life mein (There are people like this too).”
Samson later returned to the opening position and made a strong impact. He scored 97 not out, 89 and 89 before continuing his good form in the knockout stages.
CONCLUSION
His situation shows how quickly things can change in international cricket.
A player can lift a World Cup trophy as captain and, just a few months later, find himself outside the squad.
For Suryakumar, the smile he gave after seeing his name missing may not have meant that he had accepted the end. It could simply have been his way of staying calm and getting ready for another fight to return to the Indian team.
Do you think Suryakumar Yadav can force his way back into India’s T20I plans with strong domestic performances? Let us know in the comments.
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