Former Team India batsman Robin Uthappa has made a bold prediction about the future of Suryakumar Yadav after the conclusion of IPL 2026. Uthappa believes that the experienced batsman can return to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and reunite with former mentor Gautam Gambhir in the latter stages of his playing career.
The prediction comes during a challenging phase for the 35-year-old cricketer. Despite captaining the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup 2026 title, Suryakumar was recently dropped from the national T20 team. The selectors appointed Shreyas Iyer as the captain for India’s upcoming white-ball assignments.
Suryakumar Yadav fits the bill as captain and Gambhir as mentor – Robin Uthappa
Speaking on CommBoxTV YouTube channel, Robin Uthappa predicted that Suryakumar Yadav could make a comeback to Kolkata Knight Riders. Uthappa believes that the move could be made if Gautam Gambhir returns to the franchise after his stint with the Indian team.
“From Surya’s point of view, for all intensive purposes, he may go to KKR. This rekindles the idea that once Gautam Gambhir finishes his stint with the Indian team, he will likely go back to KKR as a mentor or coach. And Surya fits in well with Gambhir as a mentor once again as captain.”
Suryakumar played for KKR between 2014 and 2017 under the captaincy of Gambhir. He played a key role in the franchise’s IPL 2014 title-winning campaign and scored valuable runs in the middle order.
It is going to be difficult to make a comeback in the Indian team – Robin Uthappa on Suryakumar Yadav’s future
Robin Uthappa expressed doubts over Suryakumar Yadav’s chances of returning to India’s T20I setup. Uthappa feels age and recent form may make a comeback at the international level difficult.
“Surya will play till he turns 40. Unless his form deteriorates and he loses his Midas touch. But it is going to be difficult for Surya to make a comeback in the Indian team. He will not get A cricket at this age. So he will not get a chance to play on Australian wickets where the 2028 T20 World Cup will be played.”
The 35-year-old has struggled in T20Is last year. Following India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win, the selectors appointed Shreyas Iyer as the T20I captain of the team. Iyer is set to begin his tenure during India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland starting on June 26.
Speculation has intensified regarding Suryakumar Yadav’s future in IPL 2026.
Suryakumar Yadav’s future with Mumbai Indians has become a topic of discussion after a disappointing IPL 2026 season. The right-handed batsman struggled for consistency and scored 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76. He is the second highest run-scorer for Mumbai Indians with 4,020 runs in 125 innings.
Despite his struggles at the franchise level, Suryakumar enjoyed considerable success as India captain. He led the team to victory in the Asia Cup 2026 and T20 World Cup 2026, while also maintaining an unbeaten record in bilateral series.
Surya is the third highest run scorer for India in T20Is. He scored 3,272 runs at an average of 36.35 and a strike rate of 162.94, which included 25 fifties and four centuries. Only Rohit Sharma (4,231) and Virat Kohli (4,188) scored more runs than him.