Suryakumar Yadav Again In Captaincy Race; To Fight Shreyas Iyer

Its Shreyas Iyer vs Suryakumar Yadav once again [Source: AFP]

Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer are once again in a race for captaincy, albeit, not for the Indian cricket team. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is keen to maximize its leadership options in white-ball cricket ahead of the 2026-27 Indian domestic season, with both Suryakumar and Iyer in contention for the role. 

It is worth noting that just a couple of months ago, Suryakumar was sacked as Team India’s T20I captain by the BCCI owing to his form concern. The selection committee and the Gautam Gambhir-led team management subsequently named Iyer as India’s new skipper going ahead. 

Its Suryakumar vs Shreyas Iyer for Shardul’s replacement as Mumbai captain

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has already been removed as Mumbai captain for the upcoming 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season. 

It now appears that the MCA is also considering options to replace Thakur as Mumbai’s white-ball captain before the 2026-27 Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournaments. 

Also Read- Shreyas Iyer Locked In As India's T20I Captain Till His Retirement

A senior MCA official revealed that Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer are both in consideration for the top job. While speaking with the PTI, the official said “We have both Iyer and Yadav as the choice for white-ball captaincy, but it depends on their availability.”

Suryakumar Yadav vs Shreyas Iyer: Track record as Mumbai captain

Both Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer have previously led the Mumbai cricket team in both white-ball formats. It is worth noting that Iyer holds a better track record with a higher win percentage than Suryakumar in each, T20 and List-A cricket.

Moreover, under the leadership of Iyer, the Mumbai cricket team won the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy by defeating Rajat Patidar’s Madhya Pradesh in the final. Here is a look at how the two cricketers have previously fared as Mumbai captains in white-ball cricket. 

Suryakumar "disappointed" with BCCI on India captaincy

Just last week, Suryakumar Yadav opened up for the first time about BCCI's decision to replace him with Iyer as India's T20I captain.

Holding one of the greatest track records as national captain for India, Suryakumar acknowledged his unbeaten series streak and emphatic wins at the 2025 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup 2026. 

While speaking with Aakash Chopra on Baith & Bol in association with CREX, the senior Indian batter said, "I was a little disappointed. Because we haven't lost a single bilateral series in two years. You have won the World Cup & Asia Cup. Then you want the same things going forward, because when everything goes well, So, Why? What change did it bring?"

Even though Suryakumar Yadav held a formidable record for India as captain, appointing Shreyas Iyer as Mumbai skipper will be quite a futuristic move on part of the MCA.

For starters, Shreyas still has age on his side and the cricketer has found newfound IPL success as skipper of the Punjab Kings franchise. While Suryakumar is at the fag end of his career, the 36-year-old can still be named Mumbai captain on an interim basis, if Shreyas is unavailable for action due to national commitments. 

Also Read- Gautam Gambhir Among 3 Summoned Urgently By BCCI