India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has openly acknowledged his prolonged dip in form, admitting for the first time that the dry spell has stretched longer than expected. However, the star batter remains confident that he will rediscover his touch before the T20 World Cup begins on February 7.
Over the past year, Suryakumar has struggled for runs in the shortest format. In 22 T20I innings at No. 3 and No. 4, he has averaged just 12.84 with a strike rate of 117.87 and no half-centuries to his name. His recent outing against South Africa at home was particularly disappointing, where he managed scores of 12, 5, 12 and 5 in a five-match series. With only five T20Is remaining before India begin their title defence, the pressure is mounting.
Speaking at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai during the announcement of India’s T20 World Cup squad, Suryakumar struck a calm and optimistic tone. Smiling, he said this was a phase every cricketer experiences and insisted he knows exactly where things are going wrong. With the upcoming New Zealand series and the World Cup ahead, he assured fans that they would soon see “Surya back.”
Suryakumar Yadav’s Struggles Since Taking Over as T20I Captain
Suryakumar’s downturn in form coincided with his elevation to T20I captain after India’s World Cup triumph under Rohit Sharma in June 2024. On the South Africa tour late last year, he crossed single digits just once in three innings. The struggles continued during a home series against England, where he recorded two ducks and a highest score of 14 across five innings.
Although he showed brief signs of recovery with an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and a productive tour of Australia where he struck at over 160, consistency continued to evade him. Back on home soil against South Africa, his average dipped to 8.50, reigniting questions about his form. Throughout this period, Suryakumar repeatedly maintained that he was “out of runs, not out of form.”
Despite the slump, his past achievements underline why the team management continues to back him. Not long ago, Suryakumar was the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world, known for his fearless 360-degree strokeplay. He holds joint-second place for the most Player-of-the-Series awards in T20Is and had a record-breaking 2022, scoring 1164 runs at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 187.43. He is also just one century away from equalling Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell’s record of five T20I hundreds.
Selectors Back Suryakumar Despite Form Concerns Ahead of World Cup
India’s selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, faced tough decisions while finalising the T20 World Cup squad. Alongside Suryakumar, vice-captain Shubman Gill has also endured a rough run, going 18 T20I innings without a half-century and posting modest scores against South Africa. While Gill was ultimately left out of the 15-man squad, Suryakumar retained the selectors’ faith.
Agarkar emphasised that Suryakumar’s long-term record and impact in T20 cricket outweighed his recent struggles. He expressed hope that by the time the World Cup arrives, the Indian captain would once again be performing at the level that made him the world’s top T20 batter.
Suryakumar himself revealed that he has been revisiting old videos of his best innings over the past few months, combining that with strong performances in the nets. He described his current issue as a “small, invisible hurdle” and remained confident that it would soon be behind him.
As India prepare for the final stretch before the T20 World Cup, all eyes will be on their captain. If history is any indication, Suryakumar Yadav’s belief and proven pedigree suggest that his comeback could arrive just in time when India need it most.
