Former India captain Rohit Sharma has reacted to the removal of Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I skipper, saying the star batter has never had things “come easy” in his career. His comments came after the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee officially confirmed a leadership change in the Indian T20I setup. The selectors replaced Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer as the new India T20I captain. Along with the captaincy change, Suryakumar was also left out of India’s squads for upcoming series against Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games.
India T20I Captaincy Change Confirmed by Ajit Agarkar-Led Selection Committee
The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, made key changes to India’s T20I structure on Saturday. They removed Suryakumar Yadav from the captaincy role despite India’s strong recent T20I record. Agarkar said Suryakumar’s exclusion was partly due to form issues. He also added that the committee is focusing on building a new core team for future tournaments, including the Los Angeles Olympics and the T20 World Cup 2028.
Suryakumar Yadav T20I Career, Captaincy Record, and Key Facts
Suryakumar Yadav made his T20I debut for India in 2021 against England in Ahmedabad. He became India’s T20I captain in 2024 after the T20 World Cup victory.
Key facts from his captaincy era:
- India did not lose a single T20I series under his leadership
- India won the T20 World Cup 2026 during his tenure
- His first and last T20I matches both came in Ahmedabad
Despite his success, his poor IPL 2026 season with Mumbai Indians impacted his selection and leadership position.
Suryakumar Yadav Dropped After Poor IPL 2026 Form
Suryakumar’s decline in form became visible during IPL 2026, where he struggled for Mumbai Indians. Selectors reportedly considered this a major factor in removing him from the T20I setup. As a result, he lost both his captaincy and his place in upcoming India squads across multiple series and tournaments.
Rohit Sharma Praises Suryakumar Yadav’s Rise in Indian Cricket
Speaking at the Mumbai T20 League, Rohit Sharma praised Suryakumar Yadav’s long and difficult journey to international cricket. He said, “I'm pretty sure nothing has come easy, especially for Surya,” Rohit highlighted that Suryakumar made his India debut at the age of 30 or 31 and showed strong determination throughout his career. He added, “He made his India debut at 30 or 31, if I'm not wrong, which means that he never gave up. He always wanted to be in the fight, and when it came, he wanted to grab it with both hands, and he did it,”
Shreyas Iyer Named New India T20I Captain for Ireland Series
Shreyas Iyer has now been appointed as India’s new T20I captain. His return to the format will directly begin with leadership responsibilities. Rohit Sharma expressed confidence in Iyer’s appointment, pointing to his successful IPL captaincy record. He said, “I'm sure, looking at how he has captained in the last few years for his franchise, he's going to have a good time,”
Rohit Sharma on India Captaincy, Mumbai Cricket, and Leadership Pressure
Rohit Sharma also spoke about the challenges of leadership in Indian cricket, especially coming through the Mumbai cricket system. He stressed that captaincy must be earned through performance and respect, not given easily.
He said, “Look, playing in Mumbai, representing Mumbai teaches you a lot of things. If you ask anyone who has captained India or Mumbai before us, they'll tell you the same thing. Nothing comes easy here. You have to really earn it, so captaincy is also something that you have to earn and earn the respect of people around you. That is something that all these guys have,”
India vs Ireland T20I Series 2026 Schedule Update
Shreyas Iyer’s first assignment as India T20I captain will be the series against Ireland, starting June 26. His leadership debut will mark a new phase in India’s T20I rebuilding process ahead of major ICC tournaments.