New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) India’s T20 World Cup winner Suryakumar Yadav has broken his silence after being removed as the men’s T20I captain, extending his best wishes to the national team and congratulating teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on earning his maiden international call-up.

Hours after the BCCI announced Shreyas Iyer as India’s new T20I captain and left Suryakumar out of the squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland, England, and the Asian Games, the 35-year-old took to social media for the first time.

In an Instagram story, Suryakumar shared a photograph of the Indian team and wrote, “Wishing this highly skilled group all the best for the challenges ahead.”

The brief message came shortly after chief selector Ajit Agarkar described the decision to move on from Suryakumar as captain as a “tough one”, despite him leading India to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year.

“With regards to Surya, obviously, it’s a tough one, having just won the World Cup. Someone who’s led you to the World Cup, it’s not the easiest thing to try and change,” Agarkar said in the press conference.

Suryakumar’s recent struggles with the bat also influenced the decision. The 35-year-old endured a lean T20 World Cup campaign and followed it up with a disappointing IPL 2026 season, scoring 270 runs in 13 innings as the Mumbai Indians finished ninth.

Suryakumar also reserved special praise for 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was named in India’s T20I squad on Saturday following a sensational IPL campaign.

Sharing a separate message on social media, Suryakumar wrote, “You have earned it and how. Super excited to follow your journey.”

Sooryavanshi’s selection caps a remarkable rise for the Rajasthan Royals opener, who emerged as one of the breakout stars of IPL 2026. The left-handed batter amassed 776 runs during the season, including a century and five half-centuries, and finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

The teenager is now on the verge of creating history. If he makes his international debut during the upcoming series, Vaibhav could become India’s youngest-ever international cricketer, surpassing the record held by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days in 1989.

–IANS

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