New Delhi: Surya Kumar Yadav Badly out and a troubled wrist compounded the situation. He will be the subject of discussion when the men’s senior selection committee meets to pick the squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England. It is rare that a captain’s replacement is up for debate months after leading the country to the T20 World Cup title. But a move was on the cards as his bat has been quiet for long and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel has a reputation for keeping an eye on the future. The 35-year-old was not included in the squad for the Asian Games later this year so the ax is now more on the ‘when’ than the ‘why’.A small faction feels he deserves some leeway after becoming the third player to win India the T20 World Cup title. But the majority believe that a change in leadership is needed for the 2028 LA Games and T20 World Cup this year. It will be interesting to see how Agarkar and Koch do. Gautam Gambhir – Two strong voices in management – align with respect to succession planning. It was not so difficult when they chose Suriya as Rohit Sharma’s successor in 2024. He edged out Hardik Pandya, who looked like the obvious choice before going with Suriya.Will it be the same now? It doesn’t seem like it because the room can be distributed to the successor. As reported by TimesofIndia.com last month, Shreyas Iyer was nominated as one of the leadership candidates. His elevation in the white-ball setup and in the ODI setup was just the first step in the plan. They are eyeing him as T20I captain, replacing the struggling Suriya at No.4, but how that plays out with Gambhir remains to be seen.It is understood that the lack of consensus on the matter could hamper succession plans, but it is important for Indian cricket to find the right direction and put an ideal candidate behind the wheel. The situation shines strongly on Gambhir and Agarkar. The two have not been on the same page regarding some past decisions, including Playing XI calls and the lack of experts in the longest format. While constructive differences are healthy for any environment, key stakeholders are hoping that both the head coach and chief selector can be on the same page regarding this important matter.
Suryakumar Yadav’s record as Indian T20 captain. (Graphic: TimesofIndia.com)
“Ajit is a very strong chief selector, one of the strongest in charge. He has taken some tough calls while keeping an eye on the future and plans to captain the T20I and move forward with his panel. This is why Shreyas was appointed vice-captain in ODIs and was in the squad for the last bilateral series played by India before the T20 World Cup.
Should Suryakumar Yadav be made T20 captain for the upcoming series?
“Now is he the coach’s choice? Or does he have someone else in mind? And will it be a selectors’ choice? Those are the main points of discussion. Akshar Patel was vice-captain for the World Cup, Ishan Kishan has age, form and leadership credentials. And then Sanju Samson’s name is doing the rounds. Samson has a reactionary bias on his part but his inconsistency has not pleased key stakeholders,” adds the source.
Ajith is a very strong chief selector, one of the strongest people in charge. He has taken some tough calls while keeping an eye on the future and has made a plan for the T20I captaincy with his panel.
A source of Indian team selection
The selectors have followed a process, which has included a fair share of natural calls, but they have not sparked wild surprises. Performance, consistency and longevity have been key metrics. Suryakumar getting the pink slip is a no-brainer, but choosing his successor will require consensus — something that doesn’t always happen with Gambhir and Agarkar.
