NEW DELHI: Since taking over the T20I captaincy from Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav has acted like a pied piper, but his bat has lost its tune.During the title-winning Asia Cup run, the 35-year-old made headlines not for his breathtaking shots or match-winning knocks, but for his theatrics. From refusing to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha to sitting out the league game against Oman, Suryakumar Yadav has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons — trying too hard to channel his inner Rohit Sharma by forgetting player names at tosses, downplaying the India-Pakistan rivalry, dabbling in political remarks, and giving endless interviews.If one were to believe all that he has said across the countless interviews he’s given, it might seem as though he’s steered India to the T20 World Cup. In reality, it was the Asia Cup — a tournament where India were overwhelming favourites and even a second-string side could have beaten the current dysfunctional Pakistan team.India won the Asia Cup and defeated Pakistan thrice, but amid all this noise, captain Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form went unnoticed.
In eleven innings this year, India’s T20I captain has managed just 100 runs at a strike rate of 105.26. Since becoming skipper, he has scored 330 runs in 20 innings with two fifties to his name.The saving grace for him had been the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), where the Mumbai Indians batter slammed 717 runs in 16 innings at an explosive strike rate of 167.90.But the focus now is on lifting the T20 World Cup title once again – on home soil at that. Will chief selector Ajit Agarkar and coach Gautam Gambhir overlook Surya’s slump?
TimesofIndia.com understands that Surya has the backing of the team management till the 2026 World Cup, but the big question remains — how long can his barren run go ignored?On Monday, coach Gautam Gambhir backed the T20 skipper. “Honestly, Surya’s batting form doesn’t concern me because we have committed to an ultra-aggressive template in our dressing room. When you embrace this philosophy, failures are inevitable,” he said during a discussion on JioHotstar.“It would be easy for Surya to score 40 off 30 balls and avoid criticism, but we have collectively decided that it’s acceptable to fail while pursuing this approach,” he added.Gambhir has also supported Surya’s “free-spirited” off-field personality, saying it has given the youngsters freedom and expression to play their game.But Gambhir knows that his words will be futile if Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form continues in the five-match T20I series against Australia starting Wednesday.Surya has gone without a fifty in his last 14 innings — unusual for him — and his mode of dismissals in the Asia Cup suggests opponents have found a chink in his armour.
Barring an unbeaten 47 against arch-rivals Pakistan in the group stage, he looked all at sea against both pace and spin. His eagerness to play the sweep shot against spinners and premeditated flicks has often cost him his wicket. In Dubai, the pitches were two-paced, but in Australia he’ll face bouncier tracks — as the ODI series already hinted.After winning the Asia Cup final, while addressing questions on ‘handshake-gate’ and the trophy-less celebration, Surya looked uncomfortable when asked about his form. He said: “I feel I am not out of form, I feel I am out of runs.”With five months to go for the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav will be desperate to rediscover his touch — because no team wants a struggling captain heading into a global showpiece event.