Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions over the selectors decision to drop Suryakumar Yadav from India’s T20I setup, describing the move as ‘landmark’ movement that could set a significant precedent in Indian cricket.

The BCCI selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, announced Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games 2026. The decision ended Suryakumar Yadav’s tenure as captain less than three months after he guided India to a successful defence of the T20 World Cup title.

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Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin admitted he was shocked by the manner in which the World Cup-winning captain had been dropped from the T20I setup. While acknowledging that Suryakumar’s batting form has not been at its best in recent months, Ashwin felt his leadership achievements should also have been taken into account. “Look, I think it’s a very interesting precedent. I just want to put myself in Suryakumar Yadav’s shoes and think how he would be feeling at this point of time. I’m sure every player has the right to be gutted about being left out of the side. But the whole occasion and the way it’s been done, I am a little apprehensive about it,” Ashwin said.

‘Surya deserved more time’

The former off-spinner pointed out that Suryakumar remained an important part of India’s World Cup-winning campaign despite not enjoying his best tournament with the bat.

“Sure, my batting form has let me down over the last 15 or 18 months. But then I managed to win a T20 World Cup for the country. Didn’t have the greatest World Cup as a batter, but surely he has also played his part as captain,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin said he understood the selectors’ long-term planning, especially with another T20 World Cup cycle beginning. However, he questioned whether Suryakumar could have been given more time to prove himself, particularly in the upcoming England series.

“I saw Ajit’s press conference and I like what he said about planning for the next two years. But is there a possibility they could have given Surya a bit more time? Could he have been given that big England series to prove once again that he belongs there? I just think he deserved that after accomplishing such a huge feat in his career,” Ashwin said.

The former India spinner described the decision as one of the toughest selections calls in recent memory and said it would be closely watched as a benchmark for future leadership decisions.

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Ashwin on Shreyas Iyer’s Appointment

Ashwin also shared his thoughts on Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as captain. While praising Iyer’s leadership credentials and IPL success, he questioned whether India’s leadership succession plan had remained consistent.

“The one thing that’s probably worked in favour of Shreyas is that he’s won an IPL as a skipper in the recent past. He’s been a wonderful captain and got a lot of tactics right,” Ashwin said.

However, he added that selectors must now remain consistent with the standards applied in Suryakumar’s case. “So I really hope the same approach and stability in selections are carried forward in the ruthless manner that we’ve just seen. It’s going to be a hard line to follow though,” he concluded.