Shreyas Iyer named India’s new T20I captain, replaces Suryakumar Yadav

Surya, who led India to T20 World Cup victory on home soil in March, was not included in the squad for the Ireland and England tour nor in the 2026 Asian Games squad, to be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya in Japan.

Iyer, who was appointed the ODI vice-captain in October last year, has not played a T20I since December 2023 but has built one of the strongest leadership CVs in T20 cricket, in the intervening period.

He led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024, ending a decade-long wait for the franchise. A year later, he guided Punjab Kings to their first IPL final in 11 years, transforming a side that had become synonymous with inconsistency into genuine contenders.

Overall, he has captained in 101 IPL matches and has a win percentage of 54.45. Beyond the IPL, Iyer also captained Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2024, further strengthening the perception that he brings clarity and direction to captaincy.

Since his last T20I appearance, India have won two T20 World Cups and played multiple bilateral series without him in the setup. He missed out on the 2025 Asia Cup, and although he was drafted in as a replacement for the T20I series against New Zealand before the 2026 T20 World Cup, he was neither in the final 15-man squad nor in the reserves.

His absence from India’s T20 plans has puzzled many former players and experts, particularly given the consistency he has shown in franchise cricket over the last few seasons. The 31-year-old has evolved into a dependable middle-order batsman who can control and accelerate the innings when required, thereby making him a natural fit for India’s No. 4 role.