Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav rubbished concerns about the form of opener Abhishek Sharma, saying his players are ready to cover for the world’s highest-ranked batter in Twenty20 cricket until he regains his form. Sharma, who has scored two centuries and eight fifties for India, is yet to score a run in the Twenty20 World Cup after getting out for a duck three times in the group stage, while missing one game due to a stomach infection.
Tilak Verma has managed 106 runs in four innings, with a strike rate of 120.45, a contrast from his usual career strike rate of 141-plus. His poor form has been reflected in his boundary-hitting ability in the tournament, and he has managed only three sixes and 11 fours.Usually bullish, witty and funny in the pre-match press conference, there was a rare glimpse of a slightly conservative Suryakumar Yadav ahead of India’s first Super 8 match in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Speaking to the press, Suryakumar Yadav admitted that there was pressure on the Indian team, and that he tried to keep his mind away from it, choosing instead to stay in the present.
Keeping your mind off pressure, however, is easier said than done. Someone in the room brought up the law of averages. India have won 12 matches in a row in T20 World Cups. The suggestion hung in the air — surely, one bad day must be around the corner.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian team begin their Super 8 campaign against South Africa on Sunday. Here is a rare glimpse into a side of the Indian team that is often unseen, beyond their confident and bullish persona on the global stage. Observations in Ahmedabad, however, suggest a group that is far more grounded, introspective, and measured than their dominant image suggests.
Suryakumar Yadav backs out of form Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma ahead of Super 8s clash vs South Africa
If the press conference felt like a tale of two Indias, the city did too. And the practice session was no different.After giving Sanju Samson an extended hit on Friday, Suryakumar Yadav effectively shut down talk of his inclusion on Saturday.Asked whether the lengthy net session hinted at a change, Surya responded with a smile: “You mean I should play him in Abhishek’s place? You mean I should play him in Tilak’s place?”
“I worry for the people who are worried about Abhishek’s form,” Suryakumar told reporters on Saturday, ahead of defending champions India’s Super Eight clash with last edition’s runners-up South Africa.
“But I think about those teams who are going to play against him… When he scores a run, you have seen what happens. Last year he covered for us, now we will cover for him.”
Abhishek Sharma, who has represented India only in T20 internationals, was the player of the tournament when they won the Asia Cup last year. The 25-year-old also scored a 14-ball half century against New Zealand last month, the second-fastest fifty in the format by an Indian.Suryakumar pointed out that India have picked up enough runs in the powerplay despite losing Sharma early, as they won all four of their group games.
Before the 2026 T20 World Cup began, Tilak Varma was expected to be one of India’s star batters. But it hasn’t gone according to plan, and he has struggled in this tournament. Speaking ahead of India’s Super 8 opener vs South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about replacing Tilak, but he dismissed such suggestions right away.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar Yadav said,
“I mean I have told him, the team management has told him that he has to bat that way. If one wicket is down, then he is definitely, he can go and have his own game in the powerplay.”
“But as soon as two wickets are down, then he has to take a little bit of backseat, get a partnership again, get to the 10th over and then we have enough firepower to continue and take on the bowling,” the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav explained the rationale behind the approach although it wasn’t exactly convincing.
The India captain revealed that Tilak is not happy with himself due to his high standards.
“Definitely I am sure he must not be happy with how he is batting right now, I am sure. He must be and he has practised a lot as well in the last 2-3 practice sessions. But I don’t have any concern regarding him. He has been delivering for India at No. 3 really well and I am very confident that he will do it better,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Laughing at suggestions to replace him, Suryakumar Yadav continued,
“You mean, I should make him (Samson) play for Tilak?”
“It’s going well in powerplay. We’re making 40-50 runs. That’s normal cricket. Now we’ve played so well in bilaterals. It happens. We also have expectations from ourselves. Expectation to make 220, 240, 250.
“But wickets are a little different here. The four wickets we have played on so far were a little different and challenging. Off-spinners were not bowling earlier but are bowling now. So we have started preparation for that and hopefully we will tackle it as we start our Super 8 journey,” Suryakumar Yadav added.
That is the reality, hours before the game. There are indeed two Indias. One that must project certainty. And another that knows where the doubts lie and works quietly around them. The Suryakumar Yadav press conference offered a glimpse into how the players and management think, and how they choose to present themselves once the cameras are switched on. And that duality might just be their strength.
India, unlike England, are not rigid about who they are. Yes, they would love to score 270s and 280s. But they understand the conditions. They understand form. They know when to pull back. They know when to hold.
This has not been the case with England over the last few years. They are bullish about their identity and the style of play they want to have. And that has been disastrous for them. They failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup knock-outs, failed to reach the semis of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and have been horrible in the Test format as well.
And this could easily have been India, if they kept on with their approach of ultra-aggressive batting in the tricky pitches of the T20 World Cup 2026.
But, with their No.1 batter out of rhythm, Suryakumar Yadav recognised it was okay to switch the template. And on Saturday, that backing publicly mattered.
“Last year, he covered for us. Now it is time for us to cover for him,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
Sunday’s match against South Africa might as well be India’s toughest in this tournament. The two teams know each other well. Margins will be slimmer. Bowlers will have a say on the black soil wicket in Ahmedabad. And that is where Suryakumar Yadav may need both his Indias — the one that is bullish and ambitious, and the one that is thoughtful and aware of its own vulnerabilities.