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Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata ahead of the T20I series opener against England, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav opened up on being snubbed of a place from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Notably, the chief selector Ajit Agarkar, along with skipper Rohit Sharma announced India’s 15-member preliminary squad for the upcoming 50-over tournament, set to be played in February-March in Pakistan and the UAE.
While the side included the likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, along with a few others, Suryakumar Yadav did not find a place. The 34-year-old admitted that he wasn’t hurt by his exclusion and accepted that he did not perform well to be a part.
If I do well, I would have been in the Champions Trophy: Suryakumar Yadav
When asked about his exclusion for the marquee tournament, Suryakumar Yadav replied, "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," he added.
The 34-year-old Mumbai batter further went onto to explain that his exclusion proves he hasn’t done well in the 50-over format. "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 concluded.
Although the Indian batter hasn’t found his name in the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, he will also miss the three-match ODI series, which will be played after the conclusion of the five T20Is from February 6 onwards. On the other hand, the 34-year-old will lead the side in the shortest format, starting from Wednesday, January 22 in Kolkata.
India's ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025 squad
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja.