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It appears the fear of losing the T20 captaincy is keeping Suryakumar Yadav on edge. From reaching out to board officials and selectors to staying in touch with India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Surya is leaving no stone unturned to ensure his presence is felt. Sources told CricBlogger that he has even hired a PR manager to make sure the right narrative around his fitness and form reaches the public domain.
According to those aware of the developments, the Mumbai batter has been actively engaging with key stakeholders amid growing speculation over India’s T20 leadership. While there is no official indication of a change in captaincy, Surya is understood to be keen on projecting both his fitness and on-field credentials at a time when competition for leadership roles remains intense.
With the selectors ignoring Surya’s name from the Asian Games squad, there appears to be little scope for him to lead India in the next T20 cycle. The only factor working in his favour is his recent success in guiding India to the T20 World Cup title.
While the World Cup triumph remains a significant achievement, Surya’s individual performance in T20 Internationals over the past two years have not been particularly impressive. In fact, many within cricketing circles believe it is his captaincy credentials, rather than his batting numbers, that have helped him retain his place in the playing XI.
With a section of the selection committee backing Surya to continue through the England series in order to assess his form and fitness, there are others who are firmly opposed to the idea. A source close to India head coach Gambhir told CricBlogger that Surya continues to enjoy the coach’s support.
There are also indications that Gambhir could be open to backing Sanju Samson for the leadership role. The selectors, meanwhile, have put forward Ishan Kishan as another option, with the wicketkeeper-batter ticking all the right boxes since earning his way back into the BCCI’s contracted setup.
Shreyas Iyer’s name, too, has cropped up in discussions. However, those aware of the developments believe the Indian coach may be reluctant to back a T20 captain whom he does not view as fully aligned with his vision and methods.
Even Rajat Patidar has emerged as a name that could feature in the selectors’ discussions. Having led his franchise to IPL titles in successive seasons, Patidar has strengthened his credentials as a leader. While he may not be among the frontrunners at the moment, his recent success in high-pressure situations makes him a candidate difficult to ignore as India weighs its options for the next T20 captaincy cycle. “Therefore, Surya is definitely under pressure, and at the moment, it is a 50-50 call on whether he will be retained as captain,” the source added.
