'I smiled after spotting that my name isn't there' - Suryakumar Yadav on India T20I team snub

Suryakumar Yadav has reacted to his omission from India's T20I squad with measured perspective on the decision taken by the BCCI selectors. The former India T20I captain was dropped from squads for tours of England, Ireland and the Asian Games following the announcement on June 6, 2026. Suryakumar was informed of the decision two to three days before the squad announcement in early June, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressing the captaincy change and squad restructuring that saw Shreyas Iyer handed the T20I captaincy.

Under Suryakumar's leadership, India did not lose a T20I series and won both the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup held at home in February-March 2026. His last T20I appearance came on March 8, 2026, against New Zealand in the World Cup final. During the tournament, he finished as the third-highest run-scorer for India with 242 runs, including an unbeaten 84 against the USA. In the preceding New Zealand T20I series in January 2026, he had scored 242 runs and was named Player of the Series.

"I smiled after spotting that my name isn't there. Whenever I have been in pressure situations or when things aren't going in my favour, I've always smiled, relaxed. I have looked back at the moments and been grateful," Suryakumar said on Aakash Chopra's Baith and Bol show.

How Suryakumar reacted to the news

The selectors cited both Suryakumar's recent form and the need to plan for the next two-year cycle leading into the next World Cup as reasons for the change. However, Suryakumar's form had shown signs of decline through 2025, a period in which he did not score a single fifty. His IPL performances reflected this dip, with 717 runs in IPL 2025 followed by 270 runs in IPL 2026.

"I didn't think this would happen in 2026. I was under the impression that I am preparing to take this team forward for another two years - Olympics, another T20 World Cup and then another challenge going forward. The selectors called me two-three days before the team was announced. They said, 'I think it's time to move on. I didn't react because it's not my forte. Whatever call was taken, the person must have felt it was in the best interest of the team. You took the call, informed me, no harm done," he added.

Why the selectors made the change

The decision to move forward with a new captain appeared to factor in both his recent form and the need to build the team around younger players for the next World Cup cycle.

"The guy they've picked, I have played a lot of cricket with him. I know he's a good player, a good human being, and a good captain also. So, I didn't resent the decision but was disappointed because we didn't lose a series for two years, won Asia Cup, T20 World Cup – you want the same thing to go forward. When everything is going well, then why the change?" Yadav opined.

Despite being left out, Suryakumar has no intention of stepping away from the game. He remains hopeful of forcing his way back into India's plans and is prepared to wait for another opportunity to represent his country at the highest level.

"For one-and-a-half months I kept thinking, how can this happen? How is it possible? We just won the World Cup. Yes, IPL wasn't as good as how I wanted. Friends and family consoled me that this is part of life. But once they leave, you are alone with your family. We were thinking, how is it possible? I am ready; I am still playing and will continue to do so. Whenever you feel the time is right and things are right, call me," he concluded.