‘It hurts to think…,’ India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav on 2025 Champions Trophy snub

India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has opened up on being left out of Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Surya, who played in ODI World Cup 2023 at home, wasn’t named in India’s 15-man Champions Trophy squad. Surya, however, will lead India in the five T20Is against England which start Wednesday (Jan 22).

Surya ‘hurt’ by Champions Trophy snub

“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,” said SKY at the pre-match press conference on the eve of first England T20I in Kolkata. 

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“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.

“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,” he added.

In India’s squad for the ICC tournament, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been selected in the middle-order while skipper Rohit Sharma and his deputy Shubman Gill have been given the opening role. Yashasvi Jaiswal is in the squad as the back-up opener with Rishabh Pant as the back-up wicketkeeper-batter.

In the lower-middle order, India have Hardik Pandya along with one of the three spin all-rounders namely Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.

Coming to bowling, India have selected Kuldeep Yadav as the lone specialist spinner to go with three pacers in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and left-armer Arshdeep Singh.

Bumrah although will test his fitness in the final ODI against England of the three-match series to be played after the T20Is before being available for the Champions Trophy.