Shreyas Iyer ‘cannot be made T20I captain’: Ravichandran Ashwin rues ‘wrong’ call

Shreyas Iyer all set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain. But Ravichandran Ashwin isn't a fan of the latest move.

Updated on: Jun 6, 2026, 11:31:04 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin isn't a fan of the idea of having Shreyas Iyer replace Suryakumar Yadav at the helm of India's T20I team. The Ajit Agarkar-led All India Senior Men's Selection Committee will announce the teams for the Ireland, England series and the Asian Games on Saturday, and Shreyas will formally replace the T20 World Cup-winning captain as the new skipper in the shortest format. There is little to no chance of a last-minute change of heart, and the 31-year-old would be seen leading the side in the UK next month.

Shreyas Iyer all set to replace Suryakumar Yadav as India's T20I captain (AP)

Shreyas, who has played 51 T20Is for India, last played a T20I for the Men in Blue in December 2023, and his first game back would be as the captain of the team. However, Ashwin isn't sold on the idea, asking how someone who wasn't even on the team in the last assignment can be made the captain.

The second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket also highlighted the lack of stability, saying bringing Shreyas in and immediately giving him the reins is a “wrong move.”

Also Read: ‘Where’s human touch?' Suryakumar Yadav's ouster ‘not fine’, T20 World Cup-winning captain deserved ‘one final chance’

“Someone who wasn't even on the team, how can he do the captaincy? I read somewhere that Shreyas Iyer will be the team's captain. I just want to ask how someone who wasn't even there in the T20 World Cup squad can make the captain now,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

“I have a lot of time for Shreyas. When he wasn't picked, we talked about it for a long time. But this is also wrong. He cannot be made the captain straightaway. But anyway, the bigger point is that there should be stability,” he added.

Shreyas' phenomenal rise

Shreyas has been on an incredible upswing in T20Is over the past few years. His captaincy credentials are second to none. He first led the Delhi Capitals to the IPL final in 2020, the franchise's first-ever. He then won the tournament with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, and the following year, he led the Punjab Kings to the summit clash.

The IPL 2025 saw Shreyas hammering 604 runs, and the 19th edition of the T20 tournament this year saw him smashing 498 runs. Last year, he was also named as Shubman Gill's deputy for the three-match ODI series against Australia.

Shreyas was picked for India's T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year, coming into the squad as an injury replacement for Tilak Varma. However, he ddn't get a single game.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

Shreyas Iyer

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