Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a ‘game-changer’, forced selectors to pick him in squad: BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar
Agarkar described Sooryavanshi as a "game-changer" and said that his performances compelled the selectors to pick him in the squad.
Former India captain Kapil Dev has weighed in on India’s recent T20I captaincy reshuffle, which saw a major change in the leadership setup. On Monday, the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper said the decision to replace Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer must have been carefully evaluated by the selectors before being implemented.
On Saturday, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee announced India’s squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games, with the biggest talking point being Iyer’s appointment as T20I captain in place of Suryakumar.
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Sharing his views on the leadership change, Kapil said the move would have been made after considerable thought by the selection committee.
“I think the selectors must have thought about it, and that is why they made the change,” Kapil Dev told IANS.
He further added that those closely involved with the game and analysing it regularly are best placed to explain the rationale behind the decision.
“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.
Shreyas Iyer’s remarkable return to the top
After enduring several setbacks in recent years, Iyer’s elevation to the T20I captaincy marks a remarkable turnaround. He had fallen out of India’s T20I plans after December 2023 but has now forced his way back into the setup, and that too as captain, through consistent performances and strong leadership credentials.
In 2024, Iyer led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title. He had earlier guided Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in 2020 and Punjab Kings to the summit clash in 2025, becoming the first captain in IPL history to lead three different franchises to an IPL final. He also captained Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the 2024-25 season.
Iyer was drafted into India’s squad for the home T20I series against New Zealand ahead of the T20 World Cup as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma, but he did not get an opportunity to play. The 31-year-old now returns to the T20I setup not only as a batter but as India’s 15th captain in the shortest format.
The captaincy switch also marks the second successive instance of an Indian captain being replaced soon after lifting an ICC trophy. Earlier, Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title in March 2025 but was replaced by Shubman Gill as ODI captain ahead of India’s tour of Australia later that year.
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