The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is preparing to hold discussions on Suryakumar Yadav’s place in the T20I setup, with a real chance that the current T20 captain may not be called for the next national selection meeting for the upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland and England later this month. The discussion is expected to take place as part of a broader plan to reassess India’s captaincy options, even though Yadav led the side to a successful defence of the T20 title in March.
Why Suryakumar Yadav is under review
- After leading India to defend the T20 crown in March, Yadav is now facing uncertainty over whether he will be included in the next selection gathering for the Ireland and England tour.
- Sources indicate that the selection meeting will likely be staged in either Chandigarh or Mumbai, timed around the one-off Test against Afghanistan scheduled for June 6.
- The topic is expected to be discussed on the sidelines of the BCCI’s apex council meeting on Thursday.
- Earlier reporting on April 18 had already flagged that Yadav’s role was coming under scrutiny, with selectors exploring the idea of appointing a new captain for the next phase.
- On May 31, it was reported that Yadav was left out of the long list of probable players for the Asian Games, as the selection group wanted to test fresh captaincy possibilities while building a succession plan.
Names being considered for captaincy
The contenders being discussed include Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson. There is also an internal suggestion that vice-captain Axar Patel could be given an interim leadership role, with the intention of allowing Iyer and Varma to settle into the team environment.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been asked to focus on Test and ODI cricket for the time being, as the selectors look to manage roles across formats while the T20 leadership issue is being worked through.
Form concerns and the bigger outlook
Yadav’s international run has been marked by a long stretch of underperformance since the 2024 T20 World Cup, and he has also struggled to find consistent rhythm in the IPL. With the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and the next T20 World Cup also scheduled for 2028, it is being viewed as increasingly difficult for the selectors to pin their hopes on a 35-year-old for those major targets.
