From World Cup-Winning Captain to Team Omission: Suryakumar Yadav Faces Stunning Setback at 35

New Delhi: Just two months after guiding India to the T20 World Cup title, Suryakumar Yadav has suffered a dramatic fall in his international career. The 35-year-old has not only been removed as India’s T20 captain but has also been excluded from the squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England.

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Suryakumar’s cricketing journey has been anything but ordinary. After spending nearly a decade in domestic cricket, he finally earned his India debut at the age of 30. At the time, he recalled how his father would eagerly check every squad announcement, hoping to see his son’s name. Despite repeated disappointments, Suryakumar remained patient and continued to work hard for his opportunity.

His international career began in spectacular fashion. On his T20I debut against England, he announced himself with a fearless six off a delivery from Jofra Archer. His innovative strokeplay, particularly the famous “Supla Shot” over fine leg, quickly made him one of the most entertaining batters in world cricket.

Within a year of his debut, Suryakumar scored his maiden T20I century. By the age of 32, his consistency had propelled him to the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I batting rankings. He became the first batter to cross the 900-rating-point mark in the format and was named ICC Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year.

The following year, he retained the prestigious award and played a crucial role in India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign. One of the defining moments of the tournament came when he took a sensational catch to dismiss David Miller in the final, helping India secure the title.

At 33, Suryakumar was appointed India’s T20 captain. A year later, he led the team to the Asia Cup title, handling both on-field pressure and off-field controversies with maturity and composure.

His greatest achievement as captain came in 2026 when India successfully defended its T20 World Cup crown under his leadership. In the opening match against the United States, Suryakumar played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 84 runs. However, his form declined significantly after that innings.

The struggles continued in IPL 2026, where he managed only 270 runs in 13 matches. As one of the senior players of the franchise, expectations were high, but he was unable to produce the performances that had once made him one of the world’s most feared T20 batters.

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Despite the recent dip in form, Suryakumar’s overall T20I record remains outstanding. In 113 matches for India, he has scored 3,272 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 162, including four centuries and 25 half-centuries.

His captaincy record is equally impressive. He led India in 52 T20 Internationals, winning 40 matches while losing only eight. Two matches ended in ties, making him one of India’s most successful T20 captains statistically.

The selection committee has now handed the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, citing future planning and long-term team development. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged that leaving out a World Cup-winning captain was not an easy decision but emphasized that the move was made with the team’s future in mind.

Following the announcement, Suryakumar shared a message on social media wishing the team success for the upcoming assignments. He expressed confidence in the squad and extended his best wishes for the new campaign.

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