"I Won't Lie, There's Fear": Suryakumar Opens Up About Losing Captaincy to Gill

Mumbai: In a rare moment of honesty, India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has admitted something most leaders would keep to themselves. He confessed that yes, he does feel the fear of losing his captaincy to rising star Shubman Gill. But here's the twist—he says this fear is actually a good thing!

Speaking at Express Adda, the 35-year-old batter didn't hold back when asked about the pressure of having Gill breathing down his neck for the captaincy role.

The BCCI's New Leadership Plan

The confession comes at an interesting time for Indian cricket. The BCCI has just made a big decision to simplify the leadership structure. Earlier this month, they announced that Shubman Gill would take over as ODI captain from Rohit Sharma, who had just led India to Champions Trophy 2025 glory.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that it was "practically impossible" to manage three different captains across three formats. So now, Gill leads both Tests and ODIs, while Suryakumar handles T20Is. This means instead of three captains, India has just two—at least for now.

The Fear That Pushes Him Forward

"I won't lie, everyone feels that fear," Suryakumar said with his usual straightforwardness. "But it is the kind of fear that keeps you motivated."

It's not hard to see why he feels this way. At just 26, Gill has quickly become India's poster boy for leadership. He's already proven himself in Tests and now has the ODI captaincy as well. In T20Is, he serves as Suryakumar's deputy, and everyone knows it's only a matter of time before the torch is passed there too.

But instead of letting this worry him, Suryakumar is using it as fuel. "The camaraderie between me and him is amazing off the field and on it. I know what kind of player and human he is. So it just motivates me to do well," he explained.

A Big Tournament Around the Corner

The timing matters even more because the T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few months away. Scheduled to be played from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka, this will be India's first major tournament as defending champions after their thrilling 2024 victory.

For Suryakumar, this tournament is his chance to cement his place as India's T20I leader for the long term. A good showing could silence any talk about leadership changes in the shortest format.

A Man Who Doesn't Back Down

What stands out about Suryakumar is how he handles pressure. He reminded everyone that fear has never stopped him from playing his natural game. "If I was someone who got affected by things like these, I wouldn't have played my first ball in international cricket the way I did," he said, referring to the famous six he hit on his very first delivery for India.

He made it clear that as long as he works hard, stays honest to himself, and follows his process, the rest will take care of itself. It's this mindset that has made him one of the most entertaining batters in world cricket and earned him the T20I captaincy in the first place.

What's Next for Surya?

Suryakumar recently led India to the Asia Cup 2025 title, his first trophy as captain. He will be back in action soon when India takes on Australia in a five-match T20I series starting October 29. It's a perfect chance for him to show that he's the right man for the job heading into the World Cup.

As for Gill? He has his own big challenge—leading India in the ODI series against Australia, which kicked off today in Perth. It's the beginning of a new era, and both captains seem ready for whatever comes next.