How Suryakumar Yadav 'Helped' Shreyas Iyer After India's T20I Captaincy Change
Shreyas Iyer took over India's T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav last month.
- Shreyas Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as India’s T20I captain last month
- Suryakumar Yadav gave Iyer key insights about team management and players
- "Before coming here, SKY gave me inputs about how the management is going to be in certain situations" - Iyer
Shreyas Iyer took over India's T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav last month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the announcement while naming the squads for the Ireland and England series, as well as the Asian Games 2026. The change was round the corner due to Suryakumar's poor T20 form. On the other hand, Iyer impressed with the bat as well as his captaincy for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. During a recent interaction, Iyer revealed that Suryakumar gave him some crucial inputs after he replaced the T20 World Cup-winning captain in the role.
"Suryakumar Yadav! I have played a lot of domestic cricket with him. Just before coming here, he gave me inputs about how the management is going to be, how the players are going to be in certain situations. Definitely a decent interaction and a lot to learn at the same time," Iyer said on BCCI.TV.
Shreyas said that the India captaincy didn't come as a surprise to him as he was expecting it. The player led Kolkata Knight Riders to the title in IPL 2024. After this edition, he was released by the franchise. Punjab Kings picked Iyer in the auction and he led the side to the final in 2025.
"Honestly speaking, it's not outlandish. I was expecting it at some point of time. I have done brilliantly in the previous IPL tournaments, whenever I have represented the country. So, it did not come to me as a surprise. But, at the same time, I feel it's a great opportunity for me to learn from everyone around who has been part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, the team management, support staff and also a few individuals who have played," said Iyer.
"As a kid, you always dreamt of playing for the Indian team. Now, you are leading the Indian team. I think it's the icing on the cake. It means the world. It's definitely the result of the hard work that you have put in and the support you have received from fans, family and friends," he added.
With India's captaincy, Iyer also marked his return to the T20I format after a gap of more than two years.
"Relentless, ruthless and determined. No pressure, but at the same time, it's going to be challenging. All I want to do is embrace the challenge," he said.
"As I said before, it was not a surprise. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure," Iyer added.
India Cricket Team