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According to recent reports from Times of India, Shreyas Iyer has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the Indian T20I team. His candidacy has been bolstered by his consistent and impressive batting performances for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the ongoing IPL season.
Shreyas Iyer to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain?
Iyer brings a wealth of leadership experience to the table, having established a strong track record in the Indian Premier League. He successfully guided the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in 2020, secured the title with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and led the Punjab Kings to a runner-up finish in 2025 after a hard-fought final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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“Iyer last played a T20I in 2023. He has not been part of the current setup. It's a big call to bring him back and hand him the captaincy straightaway. The focus has shifted towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, which has given selectors breathing space to plan for a T20I leadership transition,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Suryakumar's inconsistent batting form has cast massive doubt on his long-term future in the squad. There is growing uncertainty regarding whether he will remain a central part of India's plans for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming tour of England and Ireland in June and July looms as a defining moment for the skipper. While his leadership skills are acknowledged, it is his batting performance that will face intense scrutiny during these matches. The outcomes of this series are expected to determine if he will retain his position for the next two years, leading up to major international events in 2028, including the Olympics and the T20 World Cup in Australia.
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"Obviously Surya is now leading the team. But he also has to ensure that as a batter, he maintains a level of consistency in his performances. Obviously, he will lead in the UK but after that, discussions going forward till 2028 could be purely performance-based," a BCCI source told PTI.
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Suryakumar Yadav's batting fiasco
Suryakumar endured a challenging 2025 season, during which his strike rate dipped below 120 and he failed to register a single half-century. He managed to turn things around at the start of 2026, however, finding his rhythm to score four fifties leading up to the T20 World Cup while maintaining an impressive strike rate of over 160. Despite that resurgence, his impact during the T20 World Cup was largely muted, with his only notable performance occurring in the opening match against the USA. As the tournament progressed and the stakes rose against tougher opponents, his returns diminished significantly; he posted scores of 18 against South Africa, 18 against the West Indies, 11 in the semi-final against England, and was dismissed for a duck in the final against New Zealand.
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