Suryakumar Yadav has admitted he was left stunned when he was omitted from India’s T20I plans, revealing that he had been preparing to lead the side through the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as well as the next T20 World Cup later that year.
The selectors informed Suryakumar shortly before dropping him from the squads for the Ireland and England series in June. The 35-year-old said the decision caught him completely off guard, particularly after he led the side to the T20 World Cup title at home in March this year.
“I smiled after spotting that my name isn’t there,” he said on Aakash Chopra’s Baith and Bol show on YouTube. “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.
“I didn’t think this would happen in 2026. I was under the impression that I am preparing to take this team forward for another two years – Olympics, another T20 World Cup and then another challenge going forward.
“They [India selectors] called me two-three days before the team was announced. They said, ‘I think it’s time to move on.’ I didn’t react because it’s not my forte. Whatever call was taken, the person must have felt it was in the best interest of the team. You took the call, informed me, no harm done.”
Suryakumar had established himself as one of India’s leading T20 players, even climbing to the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings in November 2022, before taking over the captaincy on a full-time basis following Rohit Sharma’s T20I retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Under his leadership, India won 42 of 50 completed T20Is and became the first side to defend the men’s T20 World Cup title and also the first to lift it on home soil.
The final against New Zealand, however, proved to be Suryakumar’s last appearance for India. The selectors subsequently handed the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, bringing an unexpected end to a period in which India had remained unbeaten in T20I series for two years.
“The guy they’ve picked, I have played a lot of cricket with him,” Suryakumar said. “I know he’s a good player, good human being, good captain also. So, I didn’t resent the decision but was disappointed because we didn’t lose a series for two years, won Asia Cup, T20 World Cup – you want the same thing to go forward. When everything is going well, then why the change?”
The decision came after a difficult period with the bat leading upto the World Cup for Suryakumar. He finished that tournament with 242 runs – third-highest for India – which included a crucial unbeaten 84 against USA. His returns in the IPL, however, also fell short of his usual standards. After managing 717 runs in IPL 2025, he aggregated only 270 runs in a forgettable 2026 campaign for Mumbai Indians.
While announcing the decision to move on from Suryakumar, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said, “Obviously, it’s a tough one… having just won the World Cup. But as it happens after most World Cups, we try and reassess what the best way forward is.
“Partly his own form, but also looking at the next two-year cycle or a little bit more than two years now till the next World Cup, we thought this was the best way forward.”
Suryakumar said it took him considerable time to come to terms with the decision.”For one-and-a-half months I kept thinking, how can this happen? How is it possible? We just won the World Cup. Yes, IPL wasn’t as good as how I wanted,” Suryakumar said.
“Friends and family consoled me that this is part of life. But once they leave, you are alone with your family. We were thinking, how is it possible?”
Despite being left out, Suryakumar has no intention of stepping away from the game. He remains hopeful of forcing his way back into India’s plans and is prepared to wait for another opportunity.
“I am ready, I am still playing, will continue to do so. Whenever you feel the time is right, things are right, call me.”
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