The BCCI selectors are likely to sack Suryakumar Yadav as Indiaโs T20I captain. Discussions with key stakeholders are expected shortly to assess leadership options before the squads for the Ireland and England tours are finalised.
Now, the board and its members are rather happy with Indiaโs performance in the shortest format of the game, especially as they won the Asia Cup last year and the T20 World Cup just two months back. However, top BCCI officials and the team management arenโt happy with Suryakumar the batter. He has struggled heavily in international cricket in the last couple of years and the IPL 2026 was arguably the final nail in the coffin.ย
Among the names being considered as potential successors, Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma have emerged as leading candidates. While Iyer brings proven captaincy credentials at the franchise level, Tilak is being viewed as a long-term prospect whose leadership qualities are currently under evaluation.
“Surya is set to be removed from captaincy. The selectors wanted to wait till the end of IPL to see whether he can get back to form. Since he looked completely out of form and not just out of runs… a tough call needs to be taken. The selectors would be dropping him from long list and had given an indication that Surya is now out of their scheme of things. Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma are contenders to become next T20 captain,โ a BCCI source told PTI.
Suryakumar may even lose his spot in team
The leadership debate, however, remains open. Iyer’s success as an IPL-winning skipper has strengthened his case, but the selection panel is also believed to be closely examining younger alternatives.
“Tilak has been made captain for A series in Sri Lanka to check out his captaincy credentials,โ the source added.ย
The process is further complicated by differing viewpoints regarding the available candidates. It is understood that head coach has reservations about Iyer despite their previous association at Kolkata Knight Riders, where Gambhir served as mentor during Iyer’s captaincy stint.ย
Attention has also turned towards other possible options. The team management is believed to favour Sanju Samson, whose performances during the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup drew praise. However, selectors are reportedly unconvinced about the long-term consistency of either Samson or Ishan Kishan.
As things stand, if Shreyas is appointed for the leadership role, Suryakumar can also lose his spot in the playing XI. In that case, the Mumbai batter may not even get picked for the UK series, despite India won the T20 World Cup in his last assignment.ย
Also Read: