India‘s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed questions about his exclusion from the 2025 Champions Trophy squad ahead of the T20I series against England. When asked if the omission disappointed him, the 34-year-old denied feeling hurt and admitted he didn’t earn a spot in the squad.
Suryakumar last played an ODI in the 2023 World Cup final, where he struggled with a slow 18 off 28 balls in India’s loss to Australia, posting an underwhelming 240. Currently, he is only part of India’s T20I setup.
During a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s first T20I against England, Suryakumar emphasized that the selected players had proven themselves at the highest level and expressed confidence in their ability to excel in the ICC event.
As quoted by PTI, Suryakumar stated:
“Why would it hurt? If I do well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy. If I don’t do well, it’s important to accept that. And at the same time, if you see the (CT) squad, it’s looking really good. Whoever is there, they are all good performers. They have done relatively well in that format for India and also playing domestic cricket and I am very happy for them.”
The Mumbai-born cricketer admitted that underperforming in ODIs is disappointing. He further stated:
“It hurts to think that I have not done well. And if I had done well, I would have stayed there. If I haven’t done well, someone who deserves to have done really well, deserves to be there.”
“Multiple Leaders on the Field”: Suryakumar Yadav Talks About Bond with Hardik Pandya
Suryakumar Yadav emphasized his strong bond with Hardik Pandya ahead of the T20I opener against England. The spotlight is on their dynamic, with Hardik set to lead Mumbai Indians in the IPL and having previously captained India during Rohit Sharma’s absence.
However, Suryakumar was chosen as India’s full-time T20I captain following Rohit’s retirement from the format, ahead of Hardik. Adding to the intrigue, Axar Patel was named vice-captain for the upcoming England series instead of Hardik, sparking further speculation.
On the eve of the series opener, Suryakumar spoke about his bond with Hardik, stating [as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo]:
“We’ve been good friends on the field and we know what we want going forward with the India team. Axar has been given that added responsibility. We saw what he did in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he’s been with the team for a very long time.”
“At the same time, Hardik is also part of the leading group. When we sit, we decide what we want to do with the team going forward and even on the field, he is always around. We have a lot of captains on the ground.”
He further added:
“The relationship with him has been really great. We’ve been playing [together] for a really long time. I still remember that from 2018, when I went back to Mumbai Indians [we first played together] and [it’s the same] till today. It’s just that the added responsibility that I’ve got [here]. When we go back to franchise cricket, I can get to be quiet and relax for a little bit.”
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