The SKY-fall – From world glory to uncertain road ahead

As a quirk of fate, Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav are scheduled to lead their respective sides in a T20 Mumbai league fixture later on Saturday night. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) could not have hoped for a bigger draw for a weekend fixture in its premier T20 championship.

New and outgoing India T20 captains – it has all the ingredients for a cricketing potboiler and the organisers have confirmed that both have agreed to honour their commitments. "Both have agreed to play the match," one MCA official said. New skipper Iyer was on a conference call with the national selectors in the afternoon and by evening he was expected at the ground leading SoBo Mumbai Falcons.

This was not what Suryakumar would have envisaged three months ago when he led India to World Cup glory, defending the title at home. He excelled in those circumstances and led exemplarily, backing out-of-form players like Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, from whom he eventually got the best at crucial stages.

His on-field captaincy was imaginative. Take his bowling changes in the semifinal against England when Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks were on a rampage. He timed Jasprit Bumrah's final two overs to perfection, turning a match that had appeared almost lost decisively in India's favour. It was widely hailed as a masterclass in captaincy.

His calm demeanour and personal rapport with the players earned widespread praise. His leadership in the controversy-marred Asia Cup in September last year was statesmanlike. Overall, his record as captain is stellar – 42 wins in 52 matches, a success rate of 84 per cent, and not a single defeat in nine bilateral series.

The absence of international cricket after the World Cup may have hurt his cause. But his fate was effectively sealed over the last three weeks, when he failed to let his bat do the talking. His tally of 270 runs from 13 IPL matches was well below expectations. Runs were difficult to come even in local matches.

Even in the World Cup, he scored 242 runs in nine matches at an under-par average of about 30. There was also talk of a wrist injury hampering his strokeplay, although he denied it. Ajit Agarkar did not mention any injury but admitted that the lack of runs was one reason the selectors chose to look beyond the World Cup-winning skipper.

"It's a tough decision. Someone who led you in the World Cup, it's not the easiest thing to change. Partly the form, but also partly how we go forward is always at the back of your mind," the chief selector said.

Suryakumar had hoped to lead India in the Olympics and even in the World Cup two years later. After triumphs in 2024 and 2026, he hoped to be part of a hat-trick of World Cup wins. "As you rightly said, definitely the next goal is Olympics, Olympic gold and also the T20 World Cup that year. Don't forget," he said post the World Cup win on March 8.

But Agarkar and his committee gave the same reason for moving on. "As it happens after most World Cups, we try and reassess what the best way forward is… A little bit more than two years from now till the next World Cup, we thought this was the best way forward."

Agarkar called Suryakumar to inform him of the decision. The chief selector would not reveal how Suryakumar took the news, but said: "Like I said, Surya is a well-deserving captain."

Over the last few days, there has been considerable talk about Suryakumar in Mumbai. It was being said that he was looking to engage a PR firm, and barely 24 hours ago, he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Coming as it did on the eve of the selection committee meeting, it inevitably sparked speculation.

There has also been talk that he could enter politics and even contest elections in the future. Whether any of that is true remains to be seen, but time appears to have caught up with Suryakumar Yadav, arguably the coolest India captain since MS Dhoni.