Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer in frame. Image Credit: ANI
Shreyas Iyer New India T20I Captain: Shreyas Iyer was named the new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for tours to Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games 2026. The right-handed batter is set to make a comeback to the team after almost three years. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav infamously became the first player to be dropped after captaining his team to the T20 World Cup win. The right-hander not only lost his place as captain but was dropped from the team as well.
Shreyas Iyer was named the new Team India T20I captain thanks to his glowing resume as the leader in the Indian Premier League. Coupled with his own form, the lack of returns with the bat in hand for Suryakumar Yadav meant that he had to be dropped. Yadav scored only 512 runs across the T20 World Cup 2026 and IPL 2026 in 22 innings, averaging only 23 while striking at 142.
Meanwhile, Shreyas, who was not part of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, scored 498 runs in 13 innings during the IPL 2026. While he could not lead his team to the playoffs, Iyer had a brilliant season with the bat in hand. Scoring almost 500 runs, Iyer struck five fifties and a century while going at a strike rate of more than 165.
Suryakumar Yadav was sacked as T20I captain due to his poor form with the bat in hand. It did not help his case that the right-handed batter does not captain a team in the IPL, where he could have possibly shown his captaincy skills. But a poor IPL 2026 season, coupled with low scores in the last couple of years at the international level, resulted in him being dropped from the team altogether.
As a captain, Suryakumar Yadav could not have done anything more. Under his leadership, Team India won the Asia Cup, the T20 World Cup, and did not lose a single bilateral series. In a format where consistency in results is pretty hard to find, Surya’s returns as a captain were remarkable. However, with the current Indian team and the players who are waiting for a chance being so good, it is hard for a player to retain their spot after poor performances for two years.
| IPL Captaincy Stats | Matches | Wins | Losses | Win Percentage | Trophies Won | Playoffs |
| Shreyas Iyer | 101 | 55 | 41 | 54.45% | 1 (With KKR in 2024) | 5 |
Shreyas Iyer, in spite of winning only a single trophy, is widely regarded as one of the best captains in the Indian Premier League. In the IPL, Shreyas Iyer has the unique record of leading three different teams to the final of the tournament. Making his achievement even more special was how he led the Punjab Kings in 2025. The team featured many young players, including the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, and Nehal Wadhera. However, even with uncapped players, including these three as well as Shashank Singh, among the ranks, Iyer led the team to the final.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
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