There is a strong opinion that India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav should be sacked from his post after the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, where the defending champions’ semi-final qualification has all but been wiped out with South Africa’s shock defeat.
Many people hoped that after this incident India would produce a young captain for the future. The stylish batsman will turn 36 in September 2026 and many young players are fighting hard for his chance. Suryakumar’s poor form in 2025, where he struggled for runs throughout the season, added more pressure.
Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy in danger? Michael Vaughan gave a stern warning
Former Indian cricketers and fans have started discussing whether the team should move on from Suryakumar Yadav after the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. However, former England captain Michael Vaughan has warned India against taking any hasty decisions for Suryakumar Yadav after the tournament.
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Vaughan has made it clear that removing Suryakumar would be a wrong step. The commentator believes that players with rare talent and a fearless mindset don’t come along every day, so India should think carefully before sacking the current T20I captain.
Michael Vaughan said on Cricbuzz, “I would say that after the T20 World Cup, it would be foolish for India to look beyond SKY (Suryakumar Yadav). I think he is a genius.”
Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy is under question after the setback in Super 8.
Suryakumar has been an important part of India’s T20 setup since 2021. He played in three T20 World Cups and took over the leadership after Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is in 2024. He brought energy and fearless batting to the team. Under his captaincy, India did not lose a single bilateral T20 series.
They also won the Asia Cup. However, he could only score 218 runs in 21 matches in 2025. This poor form has made many fans question whether India should start planning for the future. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, India made a strong start by winning all four of their group-stage matches.
But the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 brought a reality check for the Men in Blue. Their 76-run defeat against South Africa exposed the cracks and raised new questions about leadership and strategy. Now India will face Zimbabwe on 26 February in Chennai.
Michael Vaughan calls Babar Azam Pakistan’s ‘insurance policy’
Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan has something interesting to say about Babar Azam and his place in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. The former England captain feels that Babar is not a player who can be dropped easily right now and the reason for this is politics and team structure.
The cricket pundit stressed that Babar cannot be dropped from the playing eleven during the tournament. He also praised Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson for handling the situation brilliantly.
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Vaughan said on Cricbuzz, “He obviously has to play Babar Azam, and he is using him as an insurance policy. You lose two wickets; he is your insurance. He comes in at number four, and he can just play. In Sri Lanka, I think he is perfect for those wickets…”
Should India move ahead with SKY?
Babar’s last T20 WC @Michael Vaughan Reactions to the biggest T20WC hot takes, right here pic.twitter.com/MYP8OVWYTo
– Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) 25 February 2026
Notably, Babar has so far managed to score only 91 runs in six T20 World Cup 2026 matches at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of over 111, which has intensified the debate over his place in the team.
