Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav - (Source: AFP)
It is a crucial phase in Indian cricket. The T20I team is undergoing a transition for the new cycle, and Suryakumar Yadav seems to be the first victim. There are reports that the selectors are moving on from the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning team owing to SKY’s purple patch with the bat.
Suryakumar Yadav has been struggling for runs and had a poor T20 World Cup 2026 as a batter. IPL 2026 was his last hope to impress the selectors, but the 35-year-old only scored 270 runs in 13 innings.
Shreyas Iyer Likely To Replace Suryakumar as new India Captain
The latest media reports suggest that Shreyas Iyer is all set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as the new India T20I captain. The PBKS captain has not played the shortest format of the game for the Men in Blue since December 2023. However, he is all set to return, and that too as a captain.
The reports have drawn positive reactions as most of the cricket fans, including pundits feels that it is the right-way forward. However, a small faction of fans still believes that Suryakumar Yadav should be given more chances to regain his lost mojo, courtesy of his past achievements for India.
In the latest events, Mohammed Kaif has jumped onto the bandwagon and spoke in Suryakumar Yadav’s support.
Mohammed Kaif Backs SKY, Cites Virat Kohli’s Example
Mohammed Kaif urged the selectors to be fair and cited Virat Kohli’s example. The former India batter rated Suryakumar Yadav at the same level as Virat Kohli in T20Is and stated that if the RCB opener can be presented with constant chances during his rough patches, then it should be the same for Suryakumar Yadav.
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For the unversed, Virat Kohli had a slump, which lasted 3 years from 2019 to 2022. The right-handed batter struggled for centuries and even took a break from the game. However, the 37-year-old returned to his best and is now back to scoring centuries.
"Suryakumar Yadav is not a new batter. He is a proven player. Just in the last IPL, he scored 700 runs. Not being in form is one thing. Even Kohli was out of form for two years, but the belief was there that once he got the touch, he would score again. Suryakumar is on par with Kohli in T20S, he is not less," Mohammed Kaif said on his You Tube channel.
"Don't compare in World Cups. I agree he has not scored in World Cups, but he is not a light player. Even a player like Kohli had a bad patch, but he got the backing. Every player has a bad time. You could drop him after a series or two, then I would not have had a problem. At least give the winning captain some respect," he added.
Why SKY's Slump Is Not Same As Virat Kohli?
There is a massive difference between Virat Kohli's slump and Suryakumar Yadav being out of form. With Virat, he was scoring runs and fifties, but was not getting those centuries. However, with SKY, he is not getting those crucial runs.
Hence, Virat was never out of runs, but SKY is struggling to get past the single-digit scores. Therefore, the selectors have moved on from the 35-year-old.
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.jpg?type=mq "Josh Inglis Rates PAK")
