Suryakumar Yadav, the captain who led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title, was dropped from the team immediately after the tournament. At the time, this decision by the selectors came as a massive shock to Surya. He had taken over the T20 captaincy of Team India in July 2024. Under his leadership, the Indian team had not lost a single T20 series and had won both the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. Yet, the selectors appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new captain in his place for the tours of England and Ireland.
Surya’s initial reaction to being dropped
Suryakumar Yadav has broken his silence for the first time since being dropped from the team. He revealed that when he was left out, he initially tried to come to terms with it. However, a nagging question kept playing on his mind: how could this happen to him, and how was it even possible? Speaking to former Indian batter Aakash Chopra, Suryakumar said that when the squad was announced and his name was missing, his first reaction was to smile. He explained that even under pressure or in difficult situations, he tries to keep himself calm by smiling.
I was a bit disappointed – Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar admitted, “I was a bit disappointed. You hadn’t lost a single series in two years; you had won the World Cup and the Asia Cup. Naturally, you want that momentum to continue. Why the change when everything was going so well? What was the reason for the change? These thoughts kept running through my mind.” He shared that after being dropped, he stayed at home for about a month and a half, constantly pondering this question. It is worth noting that Suryakumar Yadav is currently working hard to make a comeback to the team.
The former Indian captain added, “I kept thinking—how could this happen? How is it possible? We had just won the World Cup. Yes, the IPL didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped. But I was at home; friends and family came to visit.” Everyone said it didn’t matter—that it was just part of life. But when everyone leaves and you are left alone at home—that was the moment the World Cup-winning captain had to rethink his future.
Selectors called two or three days in advance
Suryakumar also revealed that the selection committee had contacted him about two or three days before the team announcement. He was informed beforehand that his name would not be included in the squad for the England series. Surya said, “They called me two or three days prior. They said it was time to move forward. I didn’t react, because it wasn’t my decision. Whoever made the call must have done so believing it was in the team’s best interest. You made the decision and informed me; there is no issue with that.”
