The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has deep trust in Shubman Gill. He emerged as the successor of Rohit Sharma, who was the captain of India in all three formats of the game. Now, the board has assigned Gill as the captain of the Test and One Day International formats, which left Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I skipper of the Indian cricket team.

In the near future, can we see Gill also as the captain of India's T20I setup? Does Suryakumar Yadav have the fear of losing the captaincy to the young cricketer? The question Yadav had to face during a live program, in front of a crowd. The notable thing from the interaction is that, in his reply to the question, Yadav said that he is not afraid of the possibility.

"Dar aisa nehi lagta hay (I'm fearing as such)," SKY said. Followed by, "Whether it is on the ground or off the ground, the relationship between us is very positive. He is a very good batter as well. So I always try to perform well. It motivates me to play well."

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Yadav fear of losing captaincy to Shubman Gill?

🚨🎥 - Surya Kumar Yadav on fear of losing his T20I captaincy to Shubman Gill. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/sjdRhCyHdG

— Ahmed Says (@AhmedGT_) October 18, 2025

Amid the India vs Australia white ball series, where India will play 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is, starting from October 19 through the 50-over series. Yadav will lead India during the Twenty20 series. Recently, the Men in Blue brigade won the Asia Cup 2025 trophy without losing any single match in the competition. In the final, India beat archrival Pakistan. Throughout the series, Abhishek Sharma, Shubam Gill, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Jasprit Bumrah played the parts well, but there were concerns over the captain, Surykumar Yadav. 

Yadav was not at his best and concluded the tournament without hitting any half centuries. He was in phenomenal form during the IPL 2025 with the Mumbai Indians, but his recent international form was not conventional. 

Suryakumar Yadav, under his leadership, helped India win the Asia Cup 2025 by beating Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, he didn’t go through a successful period with the bat in the entire tournament, and that has made him anxious about his personal performance.

In an interaction with the Indian Express, Surya also mentioned that he shares a very good relationship with Shubman Gill, who is rising as a leader quickly. The Punjab-born has already got the captaincy of the national side in ODIs and Tests and could push the Mumbai-born for the T20I leadership.

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“I am very happy for him that he has become captain in two formats. He has done really well. I won't lie; everyone feels that fear. But it is the kind of fear that keeps you motivated. The camaraderie between me and me is amazing off the field and on it. I know what kind of player and human he is. So it just motivates me to do well, but I am happy for him.” Sky expressed in the interaction.

Suryakumar Yadav scared of losing T20I captaincy to Shubman Gill

Suryakumar, who has started his YouTube channel, has overall smashed 2670 runs in 85 innings of the shortest format at an average of 37.08 and a strike rate of 164.20 with the help of four centuries and 21 half-centuries at the best score of 117 runs. On the other hand, Gill has clubbed 706 runs in 28 innings of T20Is at a strike rate of 141.28.

“If I were someone who got affected by things like this and overthought them, I wouldn’t have played my first ball in international cricket the way I did. So I left that fear behind a long time ago. I believe that if I’m working hard on myself, doing what needs to be done, and being honest with myself, the rest will take care of itself.” Sky revealed.

Surya’s aim, however, is on the T20 World Cup 2025 in India and Sri Lanka next year. For its preparation, they will fly to Australia for the five-match T20I series in the last week of October.

Every sportsperson has their own way to stay match ready. Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has his own way to prepare himself for every match. Not only for matches, Yadav has developed himself as a better human being. Ahead of the India vs Australia (IND vs AUS) series, in a recent interview, the swashbuckling batter talked about how he is influenced by his mother and how he prepares himself for games. 

The 35-year-old said that his mother is a very religious person, who explained why Hanuman Chalisa is important for him as well. Hanuman Chalisa is now Suryakumar's daily life. From morning to before a match, he keeps listening to the mantra to stay relaxed. 

"I love to hear it every morning after the shower—10 or 15 minutes I am with myself; it calms me down. If I am in a rush, I put it in my car. My mother is very religious, and she says that Hanuman ji needed to remind himself of his strength, so if you listen to it, you will also be reminded of what you can do. So on game day I keep listening to it, and I feel relaxed. It’s become a routine," Yadav said ahead of the India vs. Australia white ball series. 

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Suryakumar Yadav revealed his daily life mantra

Team India is now in Australia for an 8-match limited overs series. The series is scheduled to start on October 19 with a three-match One Day International clash. After that, the Men in Blue brigade will face the home team for a 5-match T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav will take part in the Twenty20 format series as the captain of team India. 

Only a few days ago, under Yadav's leadership, India won the Asia Cup 2025, defeating their archrivalPakistan in the final. India played dominantly in the series and remained unbeaten throughout the competition. Facing Australia in their homeland can be more challenging for the Suryakumar Yadav-led team. 

The Indian team is getting ready for the Australia tour for the white-ball series. Before the Australia tour, Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav arrived at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple with his wife.

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Suryakumar Yadav and his wife at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple

On Monday (October 13), the Indian T20I skipper shared a video on his social media account where he and his wife were enjoying aarti at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar temple.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Surya Kumar Yadav (SKY) (@surya_14kumar)

India are ready for their upcoming Australia tour, where they will play a three-match ODI series and then a five-match T20I series. Suryakumar Yadav is in the T20I squad, where he will continue his leadership of the Men in Blues. The ODI series will begin on October 19, and the T20I series will start on October 29. 

Suryakumar Yadav-led India in great form, but SKY as a batter struggling

It will be India's first T20I action after winning the Asia Cup 2025 as the unbeaten side, where they defeated arch-rivals Pakistan three times, including the Final of the tournament. SKY has taken the official Indian T20I leadership responsibility (excluding captaining the Indian team in the absence of any regular Indian captain) after India won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 title under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. As a regular T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav has suffered only two defeats, while winning 18 T20Is and tying twice. In his overall T20I captaincy, SKY has lost only four games, while winning 23 times out of 29 games (excluding Super Over results). 

However, Suryakumar's recent batting form is a big concern, as the right-handed batter scored 0, 5, 12, and 1 runs, respectively, in the last four T20Is. After scoring 75 runs against Bangladesh at Hyderabad in October 2024, he has played only one 25+ knock in the T20I, which was 47 not out against Pakistan in the group stage fixture in the Asia Cup 2025. 

Ahead of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) released a talented 16-member team for their opening match against Jammu and Kashmir, which begins on October 15 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. The team will be captained by all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who takes over from Ajinkya Rahane after the senior batter opted to relinquish the leadership role this season. Mumbai will hope to start the new campaign on a high as they pursue their 42nd Ranji Trophy championship.

However, two of Mumbai’s biggest names, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer, are not part of the squad, which has left many fans surprised. The MCA has now explained the reasons behind their absence. According to MCA secretary Abhay Hadap, Suryakumar Yadav was not dropped by the selectors. Instead, his availability for the first match was not confirmed. “No, SKY hasn’t been dropped. It’s just that his availability wasn’t confirmed for this match. The Mumbai Cricket Association’s staff tried to contact him, but he didn’t give his availability for this match to us,” Hadap told TOI.

As for Shreyas Iyer, the middle-order batter has officially requested a six-month break from red-ball cricket due to recurring back problems. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sanctioned his plea, enabling him to get back to work on his recovery before turning out for longer-form cricket again. He will be missed, but the administration is confident this respite will see him gain full fitness for future international commitments.

Mumbai Begin a New Chapter Under Shardul Thakur

Despite missing two senior stars, Mumbai still look strong on paper. Ajinkya Rahane will play a key role in the middle order, while Shardul Thakur’s all-round skills will bring balance and leadership to the side. Sarfaraz Khan, who recently recovered from injury, makes his return and will reunite with his younger brother Musheer Khan. The bowling unit also appears to be in good shape with Tushar Deshpande and Royston Dias strengthening the pace unit.

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Youngster Ayush Mhatre, who played as captain of India's U-19 team and is part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL team, has also been drafted into the unit. Mumbai, which is in Elite Group D with Delhi, Hyderabad, and Jammu & Kashmir, will look to kick-start their season on a high note and take one step ahead after last season's runners-up finish to Vidarbha.

Mumbai Squad for Ranji Trophy 2025–26:

Shardul Thakur (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Tushar Deshpande, Shams Mulani, Siddhesh Lad, Musheer Khan, Ayush Mhatre, Tanush Kotian, Aakash Anand (WK), Hardik Tamore (WK), Akhil Herwadkar, Irfan Umair, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias.

In stunning news, the T20I captain of the Indian side, Suryakumar Yadav, has been excluded from the 16-member squad of the Mumbai side for the 2025-26 season of the Ranji Trophy for the opening round against Jammu and Kashmir. That clash will take place at the She-E-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar on October 15, where the Asia Cup 2025 winning captain won’t be part of.

The senior selection committee of Sanjay Patil and Dilip Vengsarkar picked the Under-19 captain of the India side, Ayush Mhatre, in the squad, who will fly to Srinagar with the rest of the Mumbai team after arriving from Australia. The team will be under the leadership of Shardul Thakur, after Ajinkya Rahane decided to step down from his position.

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“No, SKY hasn't been dropped. It's just that his availability wasn't confirmed for this match. The Mumbai Cricket Association's staff tried to contact him (to ask if he would play in the match), but he didn't give his availability for this match to us.” The MCA secretary, Abhay Hadap, expressed to the Times of India (TOI).

Suryakumar Yadav excluded from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy 2025-26 squad against J&K

Sky didn’t feature in the three-day practice encounter against Maharashtra in Pune, which is an indication of why he hasn’t been considered for selection. However, it won’t be huge news given he isn’t expected to be part of the national side in the Tests and ODIs in the near future.

In the last season, the right-handed batter smashed 109 runs in three games at an average of around 22 with a top score of 70 in the quarterfinals against Haryana, but managed only 0 and 23 as Mumbai lost to the champions Vidarbha in the semifinals last season.

In a huge boost for the domestic side, Sarfaraz Khan has returned to the squad after completing his fitness test at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. He suffered a quadriceps injury during the Buchi Babu Trophy and was forced to miss the Duleep Trophy 2025-26 and Irani Cup 2025.

Mumbai’s 16-member squad for Ranji Trophy 2025-26 clash vs J&K

Shardul Thakur (Captain), Ayush Mhatre, Aakash Anand (WK), Ajinkya Rahane, Siddhesh Lad, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester Dsouza, Hardik Tamore (WK), Irfan Umair, Musheer Khan, Akhil Herwadkar, Royston Dias.

Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian captain, after the Super 4 clash against Pakistan during the T20 Asia Cup 2025, felt that there is no more present rivalry between the two sides. His statement comes after their seven-wicket victory with 25 balls to spare at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which propelled them to the tournament final. 

During a recent interaction, Sky continued to roast the opponent with the same statement, expressing his belief that the current team has failed to replicate the same success they had in the past. He addressed that it would be vital to continue the same legacy that the Blue Brigade has established.

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“You can tell me if there is any rivalry between India and Pakistan. I haven’t been part of this overall record. Since I arrived, their record hasn’t been made. Since I started to watch and play, the record hasn’t been made. I admit that they were strong in the past and used to play well, but you have to continue the success. India used to play well and is still doing well. Our legacy hasn’t gone down and is continuing.” Suryakumar Yadav expressed.

Watch: Suryakumar Yadav grills Pakistan with another statement on IND vs PAK rivalry

India defeated Pakistan in all three meetings during the Asia Cup, including the final, where Tilak Varma showed his patience in the match-winning knock to take them home despite their side losing three wickets inside the first four overs of the chase.

Suryakumar Yadav once again owned Pakistan On being asked about the overall INDvsPAK record.🔥

"I’ve never come across that record during my time playing. I haven’t seen them winning when I’ve played. That was a time when they used to play well and had a good team, but you also… pic.twitter.com/U19PQRFSdn

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) October 9, 2025

“Standards and rivalry are the same. According to me, if two teams play 15-20 matches and if [head-to-head] it is 7-7 or 8-7, then that is called a rivalry. But 13-0, 10-1. I don't know what the stats are. But this is not a rivalry anymore. But yeah, I feel we played better cricket than them.” The Mumbai batter shed light.

India will now fly to Australia for the five-match T20I series before facing South Africa and New Zealand in a couple more T20I series at home by the end of the year, as they prepare themselves for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in India and Sri Lanka.

Multiple players from the Indian Premier League franchise (IPL) Mumbai Indians (MI) donned the Indian cricket team jersey at the highest stage of cricket, including India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. During a YouTube podcast, he credited Mumbai Indians for grooming multiple talents over the years who have done some remarkable jobs for the nation.

Yadav dragged MI into the discussion because of Tilak Varma. They were discussing Tilak Varma's Asia Cup 2025 final match-winning knock before mentioning the multi-time IPL-winning franchise. Who is Tilak, who batted with so much confidence and composure? In reply, Surya focused on his background, from which he groomed himself. Like Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma also played for the Mumbai Indians.

For Yadav, the Mumbai-based franchise is the "Gurukul," where an emerging cricketer can polish his skills with methodical training and discipline. As Varma played multiple matches for MI, Surya claimed that the 22-year-old already knew how to handle pressure situations before the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 Final match. 

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Mumbai Indians is the institute: Suryakumar Yadav 

"Before Team India, we played for the Mumbai Indians; it was like a Gurukul, an institute, for us. Mumbai Indians is the foundation where players are built. When we play for Mumbai Indians, we already feel the pressure, so when we play for India, we just try to replicate what we did for Mumbai Indians," Suryakumar Yadav said. 

Meanwhile, in the Asia Cup 2025 final, he scored 69 not out against 53 deliveries with three 4s and four 6s. India won the match by 5 wickets, chasing a target of 147 runs.

When a team wins or loses, there can be a few theories related to the team. Like the relation between the coach and the captain. As Team India emerged as the champion of the Asia Cup 2025, cricket fans are eager to know some behind-the-scenes stories that led the team to the glory.

In a YouTube podcast, Suryakumar Yadav, captain of India's T20I setup, revealed some of the fascinating behind-the-curtain stories. He also spoke about his relationship with the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, as well.

Yadav and Gambhir shared a long-time relationship together. When Suryakumar was playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Gambhir was his teammate. They shared the same dressing room for multiple years. So, there was natural understanding between them, which is now proved fruitful for Team India. 

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Yadav talked about his bond with Gambhir 

During the podcast, the skipper claimed that their understanding is so good that their choices of first XI will be the same. As an example of their good relationship, Yadav stated that when he felt confused in the middle of a match, he used to look towards their dressing room area, where Gambhir sits. Through some gesture or action, Gambhir often suggests what to do. 

"Our relationship is like that between two brothers... During the Asia Cup 2025, there were multiple occasions when I was confused about what to do next. Then I used to look back, and Gauti Bhai instantly understood the situations, and through actions he suggested to me which bowler I should use next. To date, we share the same bond we used to have when we played together," Suryakumar Yadav said about his relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir. 

Tilak Varma became the main hero for Team India in the final of the Asia Cup 2025. In the final match against Pakistan, the young middle-order batter played an unbeaten 69-run innings to ensure India's victory in the summit clash over the archrival. At the age of only 22, the amount of temperament and maturity he showed was remarkable. How did he play a match-winning knock under pressure?

During the latest discussion in a YouTube podcast, India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed how the head coach of Team India, Gautam Gambhir, supported Tilak Varma during the run chase. Yadav said that the match was by then almost under their control. But the pressure was always there.

For a 22-year-old batter, performing in front of a huge crowd is not an easy task. Yadav claims that during the drinks break, Gautam Gambhir perhaps sent Tilak a message: remain until the end of the match. 

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Gambhir advised Tilak how to play 

"Tilak already prepared tha. Agar aap dekho, reverse sweep, switch hit unka favorite shot hain. Final mein unhone ekbar bhi wo shot nehi khela... Unko situation pata tha. Halaki jab pehla drink break hua, Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) sayad gaye bhi the ander, unhone bhi bola hoga ki bas khara rahe ant tak (Tilak Varma was already prepared. If you noticed, during the innings he never played his favorite sweep shot, switch shot... He knew the situation very well. Still, during the first drinks break, Gautam Gambhir himself told him to stay on the wicket until the end)," Yadav said about Varma's batting and Gambhir's way of keeping his composure under pressure. 

In the Asia Cup 2025 final, the southpaw scored 69 not out against 53 deliveries with three 4s and four 6s. India won the match by 5 wickets, chasing a target of 147 runs.