Former India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has dismissed a "falsely attributed" statement of him being disrespected by his snub as India captain and being dropped from the T20I side. While debunking the rumours, he also wished the Indian team the very best.
The Shreyas Iyer-led side are currently in England, where they are playing a five-match T20I series. The Men in Blue are trailing 1-0 against England, after having lost the second T20I by four wickets. The first T20I at Chester-Le-Street was washed out due to rain.
Suryakumar Yadav releases statement
"I'm very happy for the team and wish them nothing but the very best, always," SKY, as he is affectionately called by his fans, said in a statement on social media.
"I know the boys are giving it their all, and they will always have my full support," he added. He also had words of praise for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made his senior India debut in the second T20I against England. "A special word for Vaibhav-You're at the start of what promises to be a very exciting journey. Enjoy every moment and keep making the country proud," he added.
Suryakumar Yadav then went on to address the rumours regarding his statement. “I've also noticed a statement being circulated online that has been falsely attributed to me.”
"I want to make it clear that I have not made or authorised any such statement. Please don't believe or share unverified information," he said. "My support for Indian cricket, my teammates, and the game will always speak louder than words falsely attributed to me," he added.
Suryakumar Yadav led India to their third T20 World Cup title earlier this year, but despite that, the 35-year-old was dropped from the India squad for the Ireland and England T20Is.
He was also part of the India squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies, taking that famous catch to dismiss South Africa's David Miller in the final.
He was also stripped of T20I captaincy, with Shreyas Iyer taking over as the new India T20I skipper. At the 2026 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav managed to score just 242 runs from nine matches at a strike-rate of 136.72. This included just one half-century, an unbeaten 84 against USA in India's campaign opener.
Overall, Suryakumar Yadav has played 113 T20Is, and has scored 3272 runs at a strike-rate of 162.94. This includes four centuries and 25 half-centuries.
