The history of Indian cricket is punctuated by the highs and lows of its greatest talents. Between November 2019 and September 2022, fans witnessed the inexplicable: Virat Kohli endured a monumental drought, going 1,020 days without registering an international hundred. The relentless “run machine” who had effortlessly piled up centuries for years suddenly appeared ponderous, weighed down by the sheer pressure of his own colossal expectations.
The end of that extended drought arrived in the most unexpected manner—a maiden T20 International century against Afghanistan during the Asia Cup in Dubai. This solitary T20I hundred, a format where his previous centuries were only for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, served as the catalyst that brought Kohli a much-needed second wind.
The Rise and Fall of ‘Sky’
In stark contrast, when Kohli was emerging from his slump, another Mumbaikar was ascending as the world’s most feared T20 batter. At 31, Suryakumar Yadav epitomised an intrepid, fearless approach, defying convention and often gravity with his unorthodox shot-making. Though he lacked the brute power-hitting of a Glenn Maxwell or an Andre Russell, SKY, as he is known, established himself as the world’s No. 1 T20I batter for nearly two years. As a late upstart among seasoned pros, he was given the “license to enjoy himself,” a freedom he used to the hilt to cement his elite status, despite the inherent risks of his aggressive style. For a time, the sky truly was the limit for him.
The Current Captaincy Conundrum
Today, however, the 35-year-old Suryakumar finds himself in the middle of a barren patch in the very format he once dominated. Now India’s T20I captain, tasked with leading the team’s World Cup defence at home next year, Suryakumar has gone a lengthy 389 days without scoring a 50-plus total for his country.
In his last 17 T20I innings, his highest score is an unbeaten 47. He has only crossed the 20-run mark three other times in that period, and three of his career ducks have occurred in the last nine months. Unsurprisingly, this inconsistency has led to a dip in both his effectiveness and his usually high strike-rate, though the team has managed to compensate thanks to the emergence of other resources.
The argument that his loss of form is due to the responsibilities of captaincy holds little weight. Before his full-time appointment in July last year, Suryakumar had led India in seven matches in an interim capacity, posting scores of 80 (42 balls) and an even 100 (56 balls) against South Africa. He also started his full captaincy stint strong with scores of 58 and 75 against Bangladesh last October, yet that 75 remains his most recent score of over 50.
From Swagger to Self-Doubt
Suryakumar attempted to dismiss concerns about his slump six weeks ago, saying he wasn’t ‘out of form, just out of runs’ following Tilak Varma’s brilliance in the Asia Cup final. However, if runs are the only metric to judge form, the captain is currently lacking both. While his inherent class is undeniable, it is high time that class reasserted itself.
In the first three matches of the ongoing Australia series, Suryakumar’s scores have been 34 not out, 1, and 24. While the first and third innings showed brief flashes of the old Suryakumar—marked by decisive movement and clarity of mind—he has still struggled to convert starts. Suryakumar at his best relies on instinct, coupled with subtle premeditation, but recently he has looked indecisive, sometimes trying to hit the cover off the ball, which isn’t his strength.
With only 12 matches remaining before the World Cup, India desperately needs their captain firing on all cylinders. Three of his four T20I centuries have come at the No. 4 spot, but that was when confidence was not an issue. To regain his lost belief, a possible solution could be to give him a semi-permanent occupancy at the No. 3 slot. This would offer him more time to settle in and control the innings, even if it slightly clashes with the team’s philosophy of a flexible batting order behind openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.
The absence of a glaring technical flaw makes his slump all the more puzzling. Now, with the team facing Australia in the fourth game in Gold Coast, a fresh start in a new location might just be the spark that ignites another golden run for SKY.