Revealed: Why Suryakumar Yadav has not been sacked as India captain despite horrible form?

Indian selectors stunned one and all by dropping Shubman Gill from the T20I squads for both the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. However, Suryakumar Yadav was retained as captain despite his poor form with the bat.

It’s been two days since the squad was announced; the shocking decision continues to dominate the headlines because Shubman Gill is not just another player in the setup. The Punjab lad is currently India’s Test and ODI captain, and he was the vice-captain before being shown the door by the selectors in the T20I cricket.

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, sends shockwaves by axing Shubman Gill from the T20I setup

However, Gill had been under scrutiny in T20Is because his numbers were below expectations, and the team management felt that his presence at the top was unsettling the well-set opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

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Despite this, many expected Gill to be picked because of his stature and long-term leadership role. Instead, the national selectors chose to be ruthless and focused purely on what they felt would give India the best chance to defend the T20 World Cup title at home.

It is being said that the thinking within the Indian camp reportedly began during the recent five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. After the rain-affected match in Lucknow, there was a strong push to move Samson back to the opening role and bring Rinku Singh back into the middle order. Even Suryakumar Yadav cited the team combination for Gill's axing.

Shubman Gill's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 snub tough but necessary decision

Around the same time, Gill picked up a toe injury during a practice session, which further complicated his situation. By the time the squad was finalized, the management felt their plans with Gill were no longer working and that a change was needed immediately rather than later.

The call to drop Gill has received a largely positive response, as it sends a clear message that no player is bigger than the team. Form and balance have been given priority, even if it means leaving out a player who is seen as a future all-format leader. This call also proved that reputations will not protect anyone when ICC trophies are at stake.

The sources close to the development were quoted as saying by IANS, “To leave out Gill, it was a tough but necessary decision. It was taken in the interest of the team. The people in charge of the T20I team had realized a while back that their plan with Gill in it wasn't working. It was about when they change, and this course correction was done on the squad's selection day.”

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Why Suryakumar Yadav remains India’s T20 captain despite poor form?

Interestingly, India’s T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has also been struggling for the runs, but the selectors decided against any leadership change, as the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just a couple of months away.

Notably, Suryakumar Yadav amassed only 244 runs in his last 22 innings, without hitting a single fifty. But sources said that the captain’s snub was never discussed.

The sources further shared, “Nobody was going to drop a captain in a World Cup selection meeting. That would have made for a foolish look.”

However, Suryakumar Yadav has five T20Is against New Zealand to regain form and lead the side from the front at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.