The Indian T20I side underwent a massive change today as Shreyas Iyer was appointed as the captain of the side, replacing the ICC T20I World Cup-winning captain. Suryakumar Yadav stated that he is happy for Shreyas and that Mumbai should be proud of having three consecutive captains hailing from Mumbai. It has sparked a variety of emotions from the experts and the fans as the decision was a huge one. Suryakumar Yadav was a successful captain with the Asia Cup title and the World Cup title, but his form in the format was alarming.. Shreyas Iyer has been a successful captain in the IPL for quite some time and the decision regarding the captaincy from the selectors was anticipated by the fans.

“Very happy for Shreyas as he's getting to lead the T20 indian team. We have played a lot of cricket together here in Bombay and most important thing what I felt is three back-to-back Mumbai captains going on to lead T20 for India. I think it's a very proud moment and everyone needs to celebrate that,” said Suryakumar Yadav on Shreyas Iyer being given the captaincy over himself in the T20I format for India.

Shreyas Iyer takes charge of Indian side after World Cup glory

Suryakumar Yadav has captained the Indian T20I side for more than 50 matches and he has lost just 8 games in the format. It is beyond doubt that he has been one of the most successful captains for the country as he was entrusted with a massive responsibility. To take on the leadership from Rohit Sharma, who stepped down after winning the 2024 ICC T20I World Cup was a difficult task for him. Suryakumar Yadav emerged in the T20 setup during India’s covid era and he conquered the stage in no time. His achievements for the nation cannot be ignored and the only justifiable reason could be his lack of form in recent times and his age factor.

India is undergoing a massive transition phase in almost every format with the younger generation taking over. Suryakumar Yadav was probably the last player who belonged to that kind of age category in the T20 setup and now India’s squad has majority of the young talents. Shreyas Iyer has won the IPL title for KKR in 2024 and his captaincy stints with PBKS and DC was also arguably better than most. He would fit into the number 4 spot for India and with 498 runs under his belt in IPL 2026, he could cement his spot in the side in no time. The only concern for him will be in managing the talent that India has with so much competition in each spot in the T20 format.

With Suryakumar Yadav being excluded from India’s T20I squad, his retirement from the format can be considered as a major possibility. Shreyas Iyer will be hoping to fill in the shoes of Suryakumar Yadav and he will be looking to make the most of his experience in the IPL. His first test would be the series against Ireland and Shreyas Iyer will be making his first appearance in the format after a couple of years as well.