A few days following Rohit Sharma’s axing as the ODI captain, Suryakumar Yadav has made a significant assertion, claiming that he could have been in line for the ODI captaincy.
Since the 2023 World Cup final, Suryakumar has not participated in any ODIs. His impressive performances in T20I cricket allowed him to surpass Hardik Pandya for the T20I captaincy. However, Suryakumar has struggled to maintain that level of success in ODIs, accumulating 773 runs in 35 innings over 37 ODIs. Shubman Gill has taken over the role of ODI captain from Rohit, while he also supports Suryakumar in T20I matches.
“Now I think that if I had done well in the ODI format, just like how T20I captaincy is going now, I could have got the ODI captaincy as well. I’m thinking about it now. Earlier, I didn’t think about it. Because the format is 30 overs and a bit longer. The ball colour is the same. The jersey is almost the same. Even now, I will try. I’ll give it my 100 percent. It’s always been a dream,” Suryakumar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Suryakumar made his One Day International (ODI) debut in 2021. However, he has not been part of the ODI team since 2023. Earlier in 2023, Suryakumar also participated in a Test match. He received his first Test call-up in 2021 and had to wait two years before making his debut in red-ball cricket.
Currently, Suryakumar holds the T20 International (T20I) captaincy, but there may be a shift in leadership following the 2026 World Cup. The selection committee, led by AjitAgarkar, removed Rohit from the ODI captaincy, despite his success in leading India to victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Shubman Gill is at the helm for India in two formats and is a strong candidate to become the all-format captain in 2026. He has already captained India in five T20Is and is set to make his ODI captaincy debut in the first match of the three-game series against Australia on October 19.