4 min readUpdated: Jun 6, 2026 09:14 PM IST
Former India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav who was replaced by Shreyas Iyer as the India captain on Saturday congratulated him when the two met in a T20 Mumbai league fixture. Surya led Triumph Knights MNE while Shreyas represented SoBo Mumbai Falcons, but only as an Impact substitute. The two even shared a hug before the ball was set rolling.
“As you said, so many things happening, but obviously very, very, very happy for Shreyas as he’s getting to lead the T20 Indian team. We played a lot of cricket together in Bombay. Most important thing, what I felt, is that three back-to-back Mumbai captains going on to lead T20s for India. I think it’s a very proud moment, and everyone needs to celebrate that,” Surya said at the toss.
On Saturday, Iyer was named India’s new T20I captain, replacing Surya in the role. The 31-year-old’s appointment was announced by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia and India’s chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai.
Mum-boys ❤️
Rohit 🤝 Surya 🤝 Shreyas
[ Indian Cricket Team, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav ] pic.twitter.com/h5tcwp9kmc
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 6, 2026
Surya, who led India to T20 World Cup victory on home soil in March, was not included in the squad for the Ireland and England tour nor in the 2026 Asian Games squad, to be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya in Japan.
Iyer, who was appointed the ODI vice-captain in October last year, has not played a T20I since December 2023 but has built one of the strongest leadership CVs in T20 cricket, in the intervening period.
Rohit lauds both Shreyas, Surya
Former India skipper Rohit said Shreyas’ performances as captain in IPL — where he won the 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders and led Punjab Kings to final in 2025 — will give him the requisite experience for the Indian captaincy role.
“I’m sure looking at how he has captained in the last few years for his franchise, he’s going to have a good time,” Rohit, the brand ambassador of the T20 Mumbai League, said here on Saturday.
I honestly don’t know how any person with a sane mind can hate Suryakumar yadav pic.twitter.com/c3ALFczWXH
— Janty (@Utd_janty) June 6, 2026
“Look, playing in Mumbai, representing Mumbai teaches you a lot of things. If you ask anyone who has captained India or Mumbai before us, they’ll tell you the same thing. Nothing comes easy here. I’m pretty sure it’s the same elsewhere as well. But here – I’m just talking about Mumbai – nothing comes easy.” “You have to really earn it so captaincy is also something that you have to earn and earn the respect of people around you and that is something that all these guys have it,” he said.
Rohit also heaped praise on Suryakumar’s stint as India captain which culminated with the national side clinching their record-extending third T20 World Cup title earlier this year.
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“I’m pretty sure nothing has come easy, especially for Surya,” Rohit said.
“He made his India debut at 30 or 31, if I’m not wrong, which means that he never gave up. He always wanted to be in the fight and when it came, he wanted to grab it with both hands, and he did it,” he added.
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