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Suryakumar Yadav is already out of India’s Test and ODI plans, and has lost his captaincy and place in the T20 team as well. Suryakumar Yadav has now lost his T20I captaincy to Shreyas Iyer, and has even been dropped from the T20I squad for the upcoming Ireland and England tour.
He was even ignored for the Asian Games 2026. The decision has surprised many as Suryakumar was the man who led India to T20 World Cup glory earlier this year. But after a long struggle with the bat, the selectors have decided to proceed without him.
Sanjay Manjrekar reacts to Suryakumar Yadav’s shocking boycott
Following the announcement, former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar shared his views on the decision and suggested that age and declining form had worked against the Mumbai batsman. He felt that it would be really difficult for Suryakumar to make a comeback, as he is already 35 years old.
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Manjrekar regretted that the right-handed batsman did not work on his fitness and had to pay the price for it. He believes that T20 cricket is largely dependent on sharp reactions, quick reactions and excellent hand-eye coordination, and he does not think Suryakumar can get back to that exceptional level again.
He should know that his time is up: Sanjay Manjrekar on Suryakumar Yadav
Sanjay Manjrekar said on Sony Sports: “Surya’s loss of form at his age made me wonder whether he will get a second chance in T20 and become the same player he was three to four years ago. He is not 25 or 30. And as it turns out, T20 is a hand-eye coordination game, you need to be extremely fit or young to have that kind of reflexes to meet the bat with the ball.”
Manjrekar further added, “Age is not on his side, and also, if he could have worked more on his fitness, perhaps things would have been a little different. T20 is just a game of hand-eye coordination which does not involve much technique. And Surya has not been able to get back to those heights which were fantastic for us. What he did at the T20 level used to be incredible. But he is a Mumbai cricketer, so he should know that his time is over.”
Suryakumar Yadav’s tremendous fall
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav was excellent as captain as he lifted Asia Cup and T20 World Cup glory apart from winning all bilateral series at home and away. They led India in 48 T20Is and won 40 of them while losing only eight, making them one of the dangerous T20 teams.
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But the selectors have only looked at his batting form while taking the big decision of captaincy. Suryakumar’s performance in T20I cricket has declined significantly in the last two years. In the last 24 months, he has played 52 T20 matches and his average has been less than 27.
The Mumbai batsman’s struggles became even more noticeable in 2025, when he could only average 13.62 in 21 T20I matches. His struggle continued in IPL 2026 also. The Mumbai Indians batsman finished the tournament with only 270 runs in 13 matches. However, the former captain remains one of India’s greatest T20 batsmen with over 3,200 runs.