Shreyas Iyer has big shoes to fill and it will be tough for the right-hand batter who will return to the T20I side after almost 3 years but he boasts an incredible record as captain of India’s T20I side
Updated: June 6, 2026, 3:57 PM IST
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Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer celebrates his century during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
It’s official. Suryakumar Yadav will no longer lead the Indian T20I side and he will be replaced by fellow Mumbai statesman Shreyas Iyer who will take charge of his first-ever series as India’s captain in the Men in Blues’ upcoming tours or Ireland and England. The reigning T20 World Champions will play 2 matches in Ireland as a precursor to the 5-match T20I series in England.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced the 16-man squads for both of those series’ earlier today. Squads for the Asian Games and 3-match ODI series against England were also released at the same time.
A huge talking point from the announcement is 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion for the T20Is in Ireland and England. The teenager, who is now the youngest player ever to be picked for team India, was also included in the Asian Games 2026 T20I squad. The continental games will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Captaincy transition begins
Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as India’s next T20I captain signals the dawn of a new chapter of the nation’s history in the shortest format. Iyer takes over from a captain who had an absolutely flawless record, whether in bilaterals or major international competitions.
Suryakumar Yadav, who took over the reigns from Rohit Sharma after the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, India did not lose a single T20I series as captain. Moreover, under Surya’s leadership, the Men in Blue won the Asia Cup T20 in 2025 before successfully defending the World T20 title earlier this year.
A World Cup winning captain getting sacked is not something we see every other day but Suryakumar Yadav’s removal is more than enough to describe the philosophy of the current coaching staff under head coach Gautam Gambhir who, apparently, is leaving no stones unturned for a smoother transition of Indian team in the shortest format.
Shreyas Vs Surya – a comparison
Shreyas Iyer seems to be the ideal candidate to replace Surya, given the former’s captaincy record in the Indian Premier League as well as his consistent batting form. Iyer has recent history by his side. The 31-year-old has led three different franchises to IPL finals in the last 6 seasons.
In 2020, Shreyas Iyer captained the Delhi Capitals to their first-ever finale before lifting his first IPL trophy with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024. The very next year (2025), Iyer led the Punjab Kings to their first final in a decade but the North Indian franchise eventually finished as runners-up for the 2nd time in their history.
Individually, in the last two IPL editions, Shreyas Iyer had 400+ run seasons – 604 in 2025 and 498 in 2026. In fact, Iyer has crossed the 300-run mark every time in a season where he played at least 14 games. That speaks a lot about how consistent he has been.
In contrast, the same cannot be said about Suryakumar Yadav in the IPL. After a 717-run season in 2025, the right-hand batter had a dismal 2026 season, scoring just 270 runs in 13 matches with the Mumbai Indians languishing at the bottom half.
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Suryakumar Yadav might be nicknamed “India’s Mr. 360” but he has never been a reliant and consistent asset for the Men in Blue, especially in those big moments. Take the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for example.
After scoring 84 not-out against the United States of America in the opener, Surya’s highest score was 34 in the group stages. To make matters worse, Surya got out for 11 in the semi-final against the West Indies before registering a golden duck in the finale against New Zealand. These things certainly did not go unnoticed from the team management’s sight.
But the fact is, it was Surya’s recent form in the IPL that prompted his total removal from the Indian team. Otherwise as captain, he had an extraordinary record. The 35-year-old leaves as one of the most successful T20I captain of India, boasting a win rate of 80.76%. In a total of 52 matches, Surya’s team India won 40 games and lost just 8 times.
His successor, Shreyas Iyer has big shoes to fill and it will be tough for the right-hand batter who will return to the T20I side after almost 3 years. Will Shreyas deliver the kind of success he had in the IPL or will he succumb to the pressure? Time will tell.
