Former India wicketkeeper and chief selector MSK Prasad on Thursday, 4 June cautioned against stripping Suryakumar Yadav of the men's T20I captaincy, arguing that removing him at this juncture would send the wrong signal and that selectors should instead focus on identifying and grooming the next generation of leaders.

Prasad's Case for Patience

Prasad acknowledged that Suryakumar has endured a difficult run over the past year or so, but urged the selection panel to hold their nerve. 'Removing Surya at this stage, I think, is not the right signal. Give him a couple of series, and if his lean patch continues, then you have a deputy to whom you can hand over the captaincy baton,' he said in an exclusive conversation.

Suryakumar's form has been a concern — he managed only 270 runs in 13 IPL 2026 matches at a strike rate of 147.54, with just two fifties. While he contributed a match-winning knock in India's T20 World Cup opener against the USA and registered a few half-centuries in the bilateral series against New Zealand earlier this year, consistency has remained elusive.

Selection Meeting and What Is at Stake

India's selectors are scheduled to convene in Mumbai on Saturday to pick squads for two T20Is against Ireland on 26 and 28 June, followed by five T20Is in England from 1 to 11 July. The panel will also name an India 'A' squad for two red-ball matches against Sri Lanka 'A'. Suryakumar's future at the helm is expected to dominate proceedings.

Prasad framed the central question as one of squad philosophy. 'Are you sending your first team or are you sending your second level? If they are sending the first team, I think overlooking Surya is not the right thing to do because he just handed over one more Men's T20 World Cup to us,' he said.

Building the Next Leadership Pipeline

Even as he backed Suryakumar for now, Prasad stressed the urgency of developing future captaincy options. He pointed out that Axar Patel served as vice-captain through the T20 World Cup win and suggested that identifying a deputy for Suryakumar would be a prudent next step.

On potential successors, Prasad named Shreyas Iyer — currently the ODI vice-captain — as a frontrunner, citing his record of leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title and guiding Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to finals in 2020 and 2025 respectively. Hardik Pandya, who has captained India in Rohit Sharma's absence and led Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 crown, was also mentioned as a credible option.

Prasad spoke warmly of Tilak Varma, describing him as 'the answer for the next few years for Indian cricket in T20 formats.' He also flagged Ishan Kishan — who captained Sunrisers Hyderabad during IPL 2026 in Pat Cummins' absence and earlier led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy — and Sanju Samson, who skippered Rajasthan Royals to the runners-up position in IPL 2022 and was adjudged Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup. Rajat Patidar, who led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back IPL titles, was also cited as a player who 'should be looked into.'

The Case for Resting World Cup Players

Prasad also recommended that selectors consider resting players who featured in both the T20 World Cup and IPL 2026, pointing to visible fatigue across the squad. 'After the World Cup, all the players who played in the World Cup looked jaded and exhausted in the IPL. So, why don't you give a break to all those World Cup players and give opportunities to those who have performed in this IPL?' he said.

He suggested the Ireland tour, in particular, as an opportunity to hand the reins to Shreyas Iyer or another leadership candidate, while also giving fringe players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhishek extended runs. Varma is already set to captain India 'A' in the upcoming 50-over tri-series in Sri Lanka beginning 9 June, giving him a further platform.

With the selection meeting days away, the debate over Suryakumar's future — and who leads India into the next T20I cycle — is set to intensify.