Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a measured view on Suryakumar Yadav’s removal as India’s T20I captain, saying he tried to imagine how the player must feel.
The decision
On June 7 the BCCI announced a reshaped T20I set-up for the series in Ireland and England. Shreyas Iyer was named captain and Tilak Varma vice-captain, while Suryakumar, who led India to the T20 World Cup 2026 title, was left out of the squad altogether.
Ashwin’s view
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin described it as an interesting precedent and said any player would be entitled to feel gutted. He acknowledged that Suryakumar’s batting form has slipped over the last 15 to 18 months, but argued that a World Cup-winning captaincy record deserves weight too. He said he felt somewhat apprehensive about the whole thing.
The former CSK spinner went on to say the move could shape selection policy for years, particularly where successful captains are removed from the leadership and from the playing XI. He called it a landmark day for selection.
Suryakumar’s response
On the field, Suryakumar answered quickly. He made a fluent 48 off 24 balls for Triumphs Knights MNE in the T20 Mumbai 2026, an innings that showed early signs of form and intent.
