‘Deserved chance to prove it’: Ashwin questions Suryakumar Yadav’s India T20

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the selectors’ decision to drop Suryakumar Yadav from India’s T20I set-up, calling it a “landmark” and “ruthless” call and suggested the World Cup-winning captain deserves more time to prove himself.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced India’s T20I squads for the tour of England and Ireland, naming Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain.The decision also meant Suryakumar lost both the captaincy and his place in the squad, less than three months after leading India to the 2026 World T20 title.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the move was based on the team’s form and plans for the next T20 World Cup cycle. However, Ashwin felt that Suryakumar deserved the opportunity to make one last case for himself, especially in the upcoming England series.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Ashwin said he was surprised by how the decision was made and believes Suryakumar’s contribution as captain should have been taken into account as well.“Look, I think it’s a very interesting precedent, if I may say so. I just want to put myself in Suryakumar Yadav’s shoes and think, for example, how he would feel at this moment. I’m sure every player has a right to be gutted about being left out of the side, and that’s fair if he felt bad about it, but the whole little app thing is that.”“Because in my head I’m thinking, okay, I’m the T20 World Cup-winning captain. I’m just putting myself in Surya’s shoes and thinking about it. Sure, my batting form in the last 18 months or 15 months or whatever. I wasn’t in the best shape I could have been. But then I managed to win the T20 World Cup as the best country.” batsman, but surely, like everyone else in the team – the coach, the vice-captain, the most efficient batsman, the most efficient bowler – he was also the most efficient captain, right?

How should Suryakumar Yadav be viewed in light of his recent achievements?

Ashwin said he understood the selectors’ long-term approach but felt Suryakumar deserved more support after the World Cup win.“I saw Ajit’s press conference and I liked what he said: we’re planning for the next two years, which is a pretty good way of looking at it. But is there a possibility that they could have given Surya a bit more time? And if you feel he’s not a fit in your XI, he might get that big England series to ask himself, to prove again that after what a batsman like that has had, he deserves to think he belongs in that career.”Ashwin added that the decision could become a reference point for future selection calls involving captains.“Has there been a case where a T20 World Cup-winning captain has been left out without any ultimatum? I’m sure there was communication. I have no doubt about that. But if you ask me, it’s quite a selection milestone because it will be seen as a kind of precedent the next time something like this happens. And let’s not forget that the match is expected to be forgetful of the batters, T2 You want them to play high-stakes cricket and so my question is: could the captain of the defending champions get a slightly better offer than what he got?”