Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the selectors’ decision to drop. Surya Kumar Yadav from India’s T20I setup, termed it a “seminar” and “ruthless” call and suggested the World Cup-winning captain deserved more time to prove himself.gave Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced India’s T20I squads for the tours of England and Ireland, with Shreyas Iyer named as captain and Tilak Verma as vice-captain.The decision also saw Surya Kumar lose both the captaincy and his place in the team, less than three months after leading India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the move was based on form and the team’s plans for the next T20 World Cup cycle. However, Ashwin felt that Suryakumar has got the chance to make one last case for himself, especially in the upcoming England series.Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin said he was surprised how the decision was made and felt Suriya Kumar’s contribution as captain should have been taken into account.“Look, I think it’s a very interesting precedent, if I may say so. I just want to put myself in Suryakumar Yadav’s shoes and think for example how he must be feeling right now. I believe every player has the right to be upset about being left out of the team and it’s fair if he feels bad about it, but I’ve done a bit of work on that. About the whole thing. Afraid.”“Because in my head I’m thinking, OK, I’m a T20 World Cup-winning captain. I’m just putting myself in Suriya’s shoes and thinking about it. Of course, my batting form has let me down in the last 18 months or 15 months or whatever. I haven’t been in the prime form I could have been. But then I managed to win the T20 World Cup for the country. Not the greatest World Cup as a batsman, but certainly, just like everyone else in the team – the coach, the vice-captain, the best batsman, the best bowler – he has also been the best captain, right? He has played his part.“Ashwin said he understood the selectors’ long-term vision but felt Suriya Kumar deserved more support after winning the World Cup.“I watched Ajith’s press conference and I liked what he said: what we are planning for the next two years, that’s a pretty good way to look at it. But is there a possibility that they could give Surya a bit more time? And if you think he’s not in your XI, could he have been given a big England series to prove himself once again that I belong in that place after that batsman? Belongs to such a great achievement in his career.“Ashwin added that the decision could become a reference for future selection calls involving captains.“Has there ever been an incident where a T20 World Cup-winning captain has been left out without an ultimatum? I’m sure there have been talks, I have no doubt about that. But if you ask me, it’s a historic day in selection, because the next time something like that comes up, it will be taken as some kind of precedent. He’s expected to put his wicket on the line to score extra boundaries. You want him to play a brand of cricket that is more risky and so my question is, could the captain of the defending champions have been dealt a bit better than what he was dealt?
