The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly relieved Suryakumar Yadav from the men’s T20I captaincy duties, reports said on Wednesday. PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying that Yadav will be removed from India's T20 captaincy due to poor form.

The BCCI source further told PTI that Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma are contenders to replace Yadav as the next T20 captain of Team India.

Earlier in the day, The Indian Express reported that Yadav will no longer be considered for selection as a player, bringing an end to his stint as one of India’s best batters of the shortest format.

His departure from the team would make the 2026 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand his last match for the country.

Suryakumar Yadav's stint as captain

Suryakumar Yadav, or SKY as he's popularly called by fans, was appointed India’s permanent T20I captain in July 2024, replacing Rohit Sharma. At the time, he was the world’s premier T20I batter, holding the No. 1 ICC ranking. He beat all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the job, despite the latter being a more experienced stand-in skipper in the previous year.

Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India achieved immense success, securing eight consecutive bilateral series victories, the 2025 Asia Cup, and a historic title defense at the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, these coincided with a severe slump in SKY's batting form. Beginning in early 2025, Suryakumar averaged a mere 12.84 in 25 matches and managed to score only 270 runs during the recently-concluded IPL 2026.

“The selection committee, BCCI, and team management, in consultation with coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided that India should go with a new skipper from here on. Under Surya’s captaincy, the team did win the T20 World Cup but keeping his form and future in mind, they felt it’s time to move on. He won’t be considered for selection, and the decision will be conveyed to Surya soon,” the Indian Express report quoted a BCCI source as saying.

Reports claimed that Iyer is set to replace him at the skipper with the change expected to begin during the two-match series against Ireland later this month. The Indian Express report said that Team India chief selector Ajit Agarkar is said to have backed Iyer for the role.

As per reports, other candidates in the fray include Jharkhand’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy-winning skipper Ishan Kishan, who also led Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma, and Chennai Super Kings’ Sanju Samson. Name of Suryakumar’s deputy at the World Cup, Axar Patel, is also likely come up in discussions, reports said.