Kapil Dev Says Selectors Best Placed to Explain India’s T20I Captaincy Change
New Delhi — Former India captain Kapil Dev said Monday that only the national selectors can fully explain the decision to replace Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer as India’s T20I captain.
The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee has named Iyer as India’s T20I captain for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games.
“I think the selectors must have thought about it, and that is why they made the change,” Kapil Dev told IANS when asked about Iyer taking over from Suryakumar.
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain said selectors and those closely involved with the game are best positioned to assess such leadership decisions.
“Only the selectors can give a better answer, or those who are closely involved with the game, like senior players and experts on television, can comment on it,” he added.
Iyer’s elevation marks a major turnaround after he had appeared to be out of India’s T20I plans following December 2023. He has since pushed his way back into contention through consistent IPL performances and strong leadership credentials.
He led Kolkata Knight Riders to the 2024 IPL title and guided Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to IPL finals in 2020 and 2025. He also led Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2024-25. Iyer is the only player in IPL history to captain three different franchises to a final.
Iyer was selected for the home T20I series against New Zealand ahead of the T20 World Cup as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma but did not get a chance to play.
At 31, Iyer returns to India’s T20I setup not only as a batter but as the country’s 15th captain in the format, with the responsibility of leading the side into its next phase.
The move also marks the second successive instance of an Indian captain being replaced soon after lifting an ICC trophy. In 2025, Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title in March but was replaced by Shubman Gill as ODI captain before India’s tour of Australia in October. (Source: IANS)
