Suryakumar Yadav Era Ends In Indian Cricket, T20 World Cup-Winning Captain Likely To Be Sacked: Sources
Three months after the star batter led India to the T20 World Cup 2026 title, Suryakumar Yadav is set to be axed from the captaincy role
- Suryakumar Yadav may no longer captain India's T20I cricket team, sourced told NDTV
- BCCI aims to appoint a new T20 captain focusing on the 2028 T20 World Cup
- Yadav's recent form has declined, impacting his captaincy and team position
Suryakumar Yadav is likely to no longer be the T20I captain of the Indian cricket team, sources told NDTV. Three months after the star batter led India to the T20 World Cup 2026 title, Yadav is set to be axed from the captaincy role. His place in the team will also be discussed, the sources added. The decision comes days before the squads for India's Ireland and England tours (both later this month) are to be announced. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking for a new T20 captain, with the focus being the 2028 T20 World Cup. Yadav's sacking is a step towards building a team for the future.
Yadav's form has been below par in recent times and it affected the BCCI's decision. Overall, Yadav has played 113 T20Is, scoring 3272 runs at an average of 36.35 and a strike rate of 162.94. However, in the recent past, his numbers have dwindled. From January 1, 2025 till March 2026, he scored 702 runs in 35 matches at an average of 26. From January 1, 2024 till December 31, 2024, he played 18 T20Is, scoring 429 runs at an average of 26.81.
SKY's Dwindling Numbers
With his average hovering around 26, the veteran batter's form raises some tough questions. In fact, in the recently concluded IPL 2026, Yadav tallied 270 runs in 13 innings, averaging just 20.76. Yadav, who was made the T20 captain in 2024, saw a sharp drop in numbers since he got the top job.
Since becoming the India T20I captain in July 2024, Yadav has an average of 25.88 with six half-centuries and four ducks. It's a sharp drop from his pre-captaincy numbers. Before he got the captaincy, his average was 43.60, with four centuries and 20 half-centuries.
Performance As Captain
Under Yadav, India won the 2025 Asia Cup as well as the 2026 T20 World Cup. He was also part of the sides which won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Asia Cup.
Yadav has always been considered a super-strong batter, plying his trade in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Known for playing unorthodox shots, Yadav's prowess lies in the fact that he can accelerate like none other even when the team is in trouble.
However, that was before October 2024. After scoring a half-century on October 12, 2024 against Bangladesh, his next 50-plus score came on January 23, 2026 against New Zealand. In the same series, he slammed two more half-centuries.
It was India's last T20I series before the 2026 T20 World Cup and Yadav's form raised hope. Yadav started with an 84* against the USA in the 2026 T20 World Cup, but then could not replicate the same form.
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