What did Surya give to Team India as captain? (Photo- PTI)
Suryakumar Yadav: Indian T20 cricket is currently going through a major change. After Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20 International in the year 2024, Suryakumar Yadav was given the command of captaincy of Team India. Surya’s record as a captain has been unmatched, but amidst the uncertainties of cricket, now not only his captaincy but also his place in the team is under threat. It is believed that BCCI is now looking for a new T20 captain.
What did Surya give to Team India as captain?
The question is arising whether the selectors will retain Suryakumar Yadav as captain, or will they hand over the responsibility to a young face in view of the future? If seen through the prism of statistics, Suryakumar Yadav as a captain has given the Indian team only the taste of victory. Under the leadership of Surya, who started the captaincy in the absence of Rohit, Team India did not lose a single bilateral series.
Team India’s performance under the captaincy of Surya
- Total matches: Captained in 52 matches, out of which India won a record 42 matches.
- Bilateral Series: Under his captaincy, India played a total of 9 bilateral series and won all of them.
- Asia Cup 2026: Team India won the Asia Cup trophy without losing a single match.
- T20 World Cup 2026: Under the captaincy of Surya, India became the first team in the world to successfully defend its T20 World Cup title. The Indian team had to face defeat in only one match in the entire tournament.
Falling form becomes the biggest villain
Why is Surya’s place in danger despite such a brilliant and historic captaincy record? The simple and only answer to this is his own poor form. He was successful as a captain, but as a batsman he has proved to be a huge flop this year. If he had been spreading his old charm with his bat as well as his captaincy, then perhaps no one would have had the courage to question his place today.
Disappointing figures for the year 2026
Despite winning the World Cup 2026, Surya’s bat remained calm. He scored only 242 runs in 9 innings and his strike rate fell to 136.72. His only big inning in this entire tournament came against America in Mumbai, where he scored unbeaten 84 runs and became the ‘Player of the Match’. Whereas, while playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026, Surya scored only 270 runs in 13 innings. During this period his average was 20.76 and strike rate was 147.54.
Apart from this, Suryakumar Yadav is going to turn 36 in September this year. Amidst increasing age and declining form, the selectors are faced with the challenge of taking a big decision. However, Surya is not considering himself tired yet. His target is to play in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28), where cricket has been included. But now it seems difficult for them to get this opportunity.
