Scott Styris predicts shocking end for Suryakumar Yadav as T20I captain

Suryakumar Yadav has been ruling the headlines ever since he was named as the new T20I captain of the Indian cricket team. Now, former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris has provided insights into this significant decision made by the Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee.

Styris highlighted that there were several potential options for India’s T20I captaincy, including young talents like Shubman Gill, who has shown leadership qualities in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Gujarat Titans (GT) and on the Zimbabwe tour and established players like Hardik Pandya.

Scott Styris decodes Suryakumar Yadav's appointment as India's T20I captain

Pandya led India's T20I team last year when Rohit was not available. Despite these options, the Indian selectors have opted for Suryakumar, recognizing his exceptional playing skills and his experience under successful captains like Rohit Sharma and Pandya with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, according to the former Kiwi star.

In a surprising take, Styris reckoned that Suryakumar’s appointment as India’s T20I captain might be a temporary solution, with the Men in Blue undergoing the transitional phase after Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement from the T20I cricket following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

The cricket pundit believes that the Indian selectors may have felt that none of the long-term captaincy candidates were fully ready at this moment, and that’s why they appointed Suryakumar as T20I captain. With this move, India aims to provide stable leadership while preparing to identify a more permanent captain as the team evolves over the next few years.

Styris has predicted that Suryakumar will be India’s T20I captain max to max till the end of 2026, and then the Men in Blue will have a long-term captain in the format. However, the New Zealander hailed Agarkar and his selection panel for doing a fantastic job for this temporary appointment.

Scott Styris praises Indian selectors for choosing Suryakumar Yadav as India's new T20I captain

Hailing Indian selectors’ strategic approach in bridging the leadership gap, Styris said that appointing Suryakumar as India’s new T20I captain allows the team to focus on performance and stability in the short term while keeping an eye on future leadership prospects.

Scott Styris was quoted as saying by News18: “On the appointment itself of Suryakumar Yadav, I’m sure they went through all the options. They would have had the options of the young players: Shubman Gill, who is captain in the IPL, going to Hardik, of course. And there may have been some other options.”

Styris further said, “But you know, maybe they just feel like right now that long-term future captain option isn’t there. So, the best thing to do is try and bridge that gap. And Suryakumar, we know how good he is as a player. He’s been under some very good captains with Rohit and then lately Hardik as well at Mumbai Indians.

So, give it to him for a year or two, maybe till the end of 2026, and then you can look for a longer-term captain once your team is a little more settled. So, you know, I like the thinking of the selectors. I think they’ve done a great job.”