Ahead of the much-anticipated India vs England T20I series, India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed his exclusion from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Speaking at a press conference before the series opener at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Suryakumar responded to a reporter’s question about being left out of the 50-over tournament squad, stating that he wasn’t hurt by the decision and acknowledged his struggles in the ODI format.

suryakumar-yadav

Despite his impressive T20I performances, Suryakumar Yadav admitted that he hasn’t done well enough in ODIs to earn a place in the 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, which will take place in Pakistan and Dubai next month. The BCCI selectors chose to name Suryakumar as the captain of the India T20I team for the five-match series against England, but his ODI form kept him out of the 50-over squad.

When asked if not being picked for the Champions Trophy hurt him, Suryakumar candidly responded:

"Why would it hurt? If I do well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy. If I don't do well, it's important to accept that. And at the same time, if you see the (CT) squad, it's looking really good. Whoever is there, they are all good performers. They have done relatively well in that format for India and also playing domestic cricket and I am very happy for them."

Suryakumar further acknowledged that his underperformance in the ODI format is what kept him out of the squad:

"It hurts to think that I have not done well. And if I had done well, I would have stayed there. If I haven't done well, someone who deserves to have done really well, deserves to be there."