Is it the end of captain SKY era? Suryakumar Yadav's IPL and T20I form could cost him India spot before 2028 T20 World Cup

KEY TAKEAWAYS: MI star SKY averages just 19. 50 in IPL 2026, a steep fall from 65+ last season. India selectors watching his batting, not captaincy, ahead of Ireland tour.

PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer emerging as a frontrunner with latest reports suggesting Suryakumar Yadav is likely to be removed as captain for the Ireland and England series. The captain's crisis: Is Suryakumar Yadav running out of time? India's T20 skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, is sitting on the biggest trophy in the game, yet his place in the squad for 2028 is anything but guaranteed.

There is a particular kind of pressure that only the best face, the pressure that comes not from failing, but from no longer being as brilliant as you once were. That is where Suryakumar finds himself in the summer of 2026. In this edition of IPL, Suryakumar has managed just 195 runs at an average of 19.

50 in 10 appearances. This is a steep fall in form compared to his exceptional 2025 campaign, where he averaged over 65. He was once the most destructive batter in the world, the one bowlers' nightmare about, but he is now averaging less than most domestic cricketers would be satisfied with.