Former India opening batter and commentator Akash Chopra did not mince words when discussing the significant dip in the T20I batting form of India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav. While Suryakumar had a prolific year in the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring over 700 runs for the Mumbai Indians in 2025, his performance for the national side has been, in Chopra’s words, “horrendous.”
The Alarming T20I Stats
Suryakumar Yadav’s numbers for India in the T20I format in 2025 reveal a troubling inconsistency just months ahead of the T20 World Cup, set to be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.
- Poor Output: The right-handed batter has managed to score only 201 runs in 17 innings for the national team this year.
- Recent Struggles: In the second T20I against South Africa, where India was chasing a daunting total of 214, Suryakumar failed to anchor the chase, lasting just four balls and scoring only five runs. He also struggled in the opening match of the series.
- Lack of Big Scores: Chopra highlighted the depth of the slump on his YouTube channel: “If you have an average of 14 in 17 innings and the strike rate is also not very good, you don’t have a single fifty, and have crossed 25 just twice, it’s been a problem on either side of the IPL.”
Captaincy is Not Enough
While Suryakumar’s captaincy record remains robust—with India losing only six T20Is and winning the Asia Cup under his leadership since he took over in July 2024—Chopra emphasized that the primary responsibility of a top-order batsman is scoring runs.
“You are the team’s captain, but a captain’s job is not just to toss and manage the bowlers. It’s not just about making the strategy. If you bat in the top four, your primary role is to score runs,” Chopra asserted.
He was quick to clarify that he was not questioning the leadership role: “I am not saying there is any doubt over Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, or that he won’t be India’s captain in the World Cup. I am not suggesting that at all, so don’t ever misquote me, but the truth is that he needs to score runs.”
Dual Concern: Gill and Suryakumar
The situation is further complicated by the out-of-form opening batter Shubman Gill, who was dismissed for a golden duck in the same match. Chopra stressed that having two key players, the captain and the vice-captain (Gill), struggling with form does not bode well for the squad heading into a major tournament.
“If you are playing at No. 3 or No. 4 and are not scoring runs, and they aren’t being scored consistently and over a long period of time, you won’t be that confident when you start the World Cup. So, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain, and Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, scoring runs is absolutely imperative,” he concluded.