 "Suryakumar Yadav has collected just 218 runs in 19 outings in 2025, his worst run as a batter since he made his international debut in 2021. AP")
Shubman Gill has been left out of India’s squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup as well as the preceding five-match T20I series against a New Zealand despite being named vice-captain in the format. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee took the bold call following a prolonged lean patch for the India Test and ODI captain, with Gill having scored just 32 runs in three outings in the T20I series against South Africa including a run-a-ball 28.
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Also going through a lean run with the bat is India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who finished with an average under 15 in T20Is this year and a strike rate slightly above 100. And while Surya remains immune to getting axed thanks to his brilliant run as T20I captain, with India winning 30 out of 38 games in the format under his leadership, latest reports suggest that might not necessarily be the case after the World Cup.
Surya, after all, had scored just 218 runs in 19 T20I innings this year, at an average and strike rate of 13.62 and 123.16 respectively – marking his worst year as a batter since he made his international debut in 2021. And in the T20I series against South Africa, ‘SKY’ managed just 34 runs in four outings (average: 8.50; strike rate: 103.03).
Stellar record as T20I captain might not be enough for SKY
According to a report by news agency Press Trust of India, Surya could be next on the selectors’ drop list if he does not regain his form soon, either in the New Zealand T20Is or during the T20 World Cup.
“SKY, who by virtue of being the skipper kept his place despite a horrific one-year run, while Gill suffered as his game when compared to opening partner Abhishek Sharma didn’t seem that impactful,” the PTI report said.
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View All“If Surya doesn’t start scoring runs, he will be losing his voice in the dressing room and eventually his place because, anyone who knows Gambhir knows that for him, ‘winning is not everything but the only thing’. Today it was Gill, tomorrow it could be Suryakumar,” it added.
Surya has had an outstanding run since he succeeded Rohit Sharma as India T20I captain in July last year, with India winning 30 out of 38 matches under his leadership and not losing a single bilateral series during this period.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee and the team management, however, might finally run out of patience and be forced to axe him if his form doesn’t pick up soon, despite his stellar captaincy record.