A stunning twist has emerged, with star cricketer Suryakumar Yadav apparently being dismissed as India’s T20I captain after the T20 World Cup in 2026. A new leader is poised to take over as the wrecker-in-chief from Suryakumar, with current vice-captain Shubman Gill the frontrunner for a promotion, making him India’s captain across all international formats.
Suryakumar Yadav has been in dismal form in Twenty20 Internationals since his debut in 2021.
In 2025, the Mumbai cricketer has only 218 runs from 21 matches, an average of 13.62. Since 2024, the top batter has failed to score a half-century, adding to his difficulties. Furthermore, Suryakumar is 35 years old, and the BCCI is looking for a younger replacement.
According to India Today, the selection committee intended to eliminate Suryakumar much earlier, but the decision has been postponed because the global competition is only a few months away. The squad will not want to experiment with a change in command before a major tournament, therefore Suryakumar’s captaincy stay has been extended slightly.
Deputy Shubman Gill, however, himself has struggled to get going with the bat. In the recently-concluded series against South Africa, Gill scored only 32 runs. A leg injury ruled him out of the fifth and final match, where the backup opener and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson impressed with a solid 37 off 21 balls. As a result, Gill will also have to show some serious promise and prove himself with performances ahead of getting captaincy in the shortest format of the game.
For the unversed, the BCCI has confirmed that their squad for the twenty-team event will be officially unveiled on Saturday, December 20 from its Mumbai headquarters. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar is expected to read out the official squad following the meeting in a public press conference. Suryakumar, who is going to lead India at the tournament, will also be sitting alongside Agarkar.
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