ENG vs IND: Ajit Agarkar Backs Shreyas Iyer To Excel As T20I Skipper

Shreyas Iyer was not only named in the T20I squad but was also named captain for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England. It was also done at the expense of title-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, who was also dropped from the side altogether. Leaving out India’s recent T20 World Cup-winning captain, Suryakumar Yadav, was a very tough decision that the selection panel deliberated a lot. This decision was partly because of Surya’s recent form, while Shreyas Iyer, with his T20 form and leadership in IPL, made a strong case that the selectors felt was the best way forward.

This was done as the selectors were looking ahead to the next T20 World Cup to be played in October 2028. The axing of the T20 World Cup-winning captain and dropping him altogether from the side is unprecedented in Indian cricket, but Agarkar said it was done in the interest of what the team needs going forward.

Ajit Agarkar on the removal of Suryakumar Yadav and appointment of Shreyas Iyer

While announcing the squad for the tour of Ireland and England Ajit Agarkar said,

“With regards to Surya, obviously, it’s a tough one, having just won the World Cup, but as it happens, after most World Cups, we try and reassess what the best way forward is. Partly his own form, but also looking at the next two-year cycle, or a little bit more than two years now till the next World Cup, we thought this was the best way forward. Like I said, Shreyas is a well-deserving candidate.” 

Ajit Agarkar further added, “Of course, it’s a tough decision to leave out Suryakumar. Someone who led you in the World Cup, it’s not the easiest thing to try and change. But like I said, we’ve not had any international cricket after that World Cup. Partly the form, but partly also how we go forward is always at the back of your mind. And moving ahead, with a new captain, in this case Shreyas was in our view the right call.” 

For the record, Suryakumar’s 270 runs from 13 innings in the recent IPL was his lowest tally in the tournament since IPL 2017, when he had played seven innings for 105 runs for the Kolkata Knight Riders. His average in IPL 2026 was 20.76, again his lowest since IPL 2017, and his strike rate of 147.54 this time was his worst since IPL 2022.

Questions around Suryakumar Yadav’s form had started much earlier when his runs started to dry up in T20Is in 2025. He started that year with just 28 runs in five innings at home against England at an average of 5.60. His next assignment was the Asia Cup in UAE where he crossed 15 just once which was in a league game against Pakistan and finished with 72 runs from six innings at a strike rate of 101.40. While India won the title, Surya insisted he was not out of form but out of runs. His next two series also didn’t get him great returns.

In four innings in Australia, Suryakumar scored 84 runs, and on returning to India, he managed just 34 runs in 4 innings to average 8.50 while striking at 103.03 against South Africa. It was only at the start of 2026 that he turned his form around against New Zealand at home, when he smashed three half-centuries in five innings, registered just one single-digit score, and finished the series with an average of 80.66 and a strike-rate of 196.74.

He also started the T20 World Cup with a bang, scoring a match-turning unbeaten 84 off 49 balls against USA. But he couldn’t cross 35 after that in eight innings, while leading India to the title.

Ajit Agarkar added, “I mean, you look at his performance in the last couple of years. But he was a captain who was doing really well, winning so many games. He eventually ended up winning the World Cup. Obviously, we deliberated it a lot, especially when someone led you to a World Cup. It’s not the easiest sort of decision to have but… At some stage, we were going to look at it. Whether the IPL form dictated it, I’m not so sure that’s the case. There were always conversations around it. Like I said, because playing as well as he is, particularly with the bat, sometimes makes the decision a little bit easier,”

Squads for Ireland and England series: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Ajit Agarkar on Having an Honest Conversation with Suryakumar Yadav

Ajit Agarkar also explained that the next T20 World Cup, being more than two years away, gave the team management ample time to plan things, unlike the 19-month gap between the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups. Agarkar said he had a chat with Suryakumar recently about his axe from the T20I side, but didn’t want to reveal the details.

Ajit Agarkar said, “Yeah, I talk to most people when we are making such decisions, particularly when it comes to a captain, who has just won a World Cup. So, that’s a chat between me and him.” 

Ajit Agarkar further added, “Like I said, it’s a conversation between Surya and me. And, look, we know he’s been captain and won a World Cup. So, it’s not the easiest conversation when you want to tell the player that. But we’re doing everything in the interest of what the team needs going forward.” 

So, it remains to be seen how the appointment of Shreyas Iyer as captain takes India forward in the next cycle and whether it is the end of the road for Suryakumar Yadav. Can Surya fight his way back into the side? Only time will tell.

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