Shreyas replacing Suryakumar 'best way forward' - Ajit Agarkar

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the panel "deliberated a lot" before making the "tough decision" to leave out India's recent T20 World Cup captain Suryakumar Yadav. The decision was partly because of Suryakumar's recent form, while Shreyas Iyer, with his T20 form and IPL leadership, made such a strong case that the selectors thought this was "the best way forward" looking ahead to the next T20 World Cup to be played in October 2028.

In Indian cricket, this is the first time a captain from a T20 World Cup team has been fired, but Agarkar said it was done "in the interest of what the team needs going forward."

When announcing the T20I squad for Ireland and England on Saturday in Mumbai, Agarkar stated, "Obviously, it's a tough one, having just won the World Cup, but as it happens, we try and reassess what the best way forward is." "We thought this was the best course of action, partly because of his own performance, but also because we looked at the next two cycles, which are about two years away from the next World Cup. As I previously stated, Shreyas is an excellent candidate.

"Of course, leaving out Suryakumar is a difficult choice." It's not easy to try to change someone who led you in the World Cup. However, as I previously stated, we have not played international cricket since that World Cup. You always keep in mind, in part, the form and, in part, how we proceed. In addition, moving forward with a new captain in this instance was, in our opinion, the right decision."

In the most recent IPL, Suryakumar played 13 innings and scored 270 runs, which was his lowest total since 2017, when he played seven innings and scored 105 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders. His strike rate of 147.54 was his lowest since IPL 2022, and his average of 20.76 was his lowest since IPL 2017.

When Suryakumar's runs began to dry up in T20Is in 2025, questions about his form began much earlier. In his first five innings against England at home that year, he scored just 28 runs at an average of 5.60. His next assignment was the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where he scored 72 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 101.40 and only reached 15 runs in a league match against Pakistan. Suryakumar insisted he was "not out of form, but out of runs" after India won the title, but his next two series also didn't pay off well. In four innings in Australia, he scored 84 runs, and on returning to India, he managed just 34 runs in four innings to average 8.50 while striking at 103.03 against South Africa.

He turned things around against New Zealand at home only at the beginning of 2026. He scored just one run in the single digits in five innings, smashed three half-centuries, and finished the series with an average of 80.66 and a strike rate of 196.74. He also kicked off the T20 World Cup with a bang, scoring an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls against the USA, turning the match. After that, though, he was unable to score more than 35 in eight innings while leading India to victory.

Agarkar stated, "I mean, you look at his performance in the last couple of years." "However, he was a captain who was excelling, winning numerous games. He ended up winning the World Cup in the end. Naturally, we deliberated a lot about it, particularly when someone pointed you toward a World Cup. It's not the easiest conversation to have, but we were going to look into it at some point. I'm not so sure if the IPL form required it, but I doubt it. It was always the topic of conversation. As I mentioned, the fact that Shreya is performing so well, particularly with the bat, occasionally makes the decision a little bit easier."

Agarkar also said that the team management had plenty of time to plan for the upcoming T20 World Cup because it was more than two years away, unlike the 19-month gap between the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups. Agarkar said he spoke with Surykumar recently about his T20I side's axe, but he didn't want to say what.

Agarkar stated, "Yeah, I talk to the majority of people when we are making such decisions, especially when it comes to a captain who has just won a World Cup." "So, that's a chat between me and him.

"As I stated, Surya and I are having a conversation. And, look, we know he's been captain and just won a World Cup. When you want to tell the player that, therefore, it's not the easiest conversation to have. However, we are doing everything in the interest of the team's future requirements."