While Suryakumar Yadav has impressed as India’s T20I captain, questions are mounting over his personal form with the bat. Under Suryakumar Yadav‘s leadership, India have enjoyed considerable success, winning 22 out of 27 matches, but the 35-year-old Suryakumar Yadav’s recent performances raise concerns about his place in the playing XI.
Reigning T20 World Champions India have stormed into the Asia Cup final, remaining unbeaten in the eight-team tournament, with one more Super Four game against Sri Lanka still to come. While captain Suryakumar Yadav has marshalled his troops admirably, the batter Suryakumar Yadav himself has struggled to make an impact with the bat. Despite India’s overall dominance, cracks have begun to appear in the captain’s own performance, raising questions about his form at a crucial juncture.
Suryakumar Yadav’s woeful batting form – A concern for India.
In 2025 alone, Suryakumar Yadav has managed just 87 runs in nine T20I innings at a modest strike rate of 112.98. Despite his tactical acumen and calm leadership, his lack of runs is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook, especially with competition intensifying for spots in the top order.
Interestingly, the contrast between his international form and IPL performance has been stark. Playing for Mumbai Indians without the burden of captaincy, Suryakumar Yadav was at his fluent best in the 2025 IPL, racking up 717 runs across 16 matches. That explosive form, however, has not translated to the international stage, where expectations remain high.
Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles have continued into the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 as well, where he has managed just 59 runs across five matches. With India eyeing long-term stability in the T20I setup, particularly ahead of major tournaments, Suryakumar Yadav’s place and leadership role could come under serious review if his form doesn’t improve soon.
Much of the responsibility at the top has fallen on Abhishek Sharma, who has delivered consistently. The opener produced back-to-back impactful innings, scoring 74 off 39 balls against Pakistan, followed by 75 off 37 against Bangladesh. However, when Abhishek is not at the crease, India’s middle order has looked shaky, with Suryakumar Yadav’s inconsistency adding to the team’s vulnerability
The Indian captain’s latest outing with the bat against Bangladesh in Dubai was far from convincing. A mix-up with Abhishek Sharma led to the opener’s dismissal, and Suryakumar Yadav himself fell shortly afterwards in the same over, adding to India’s concerns.
Across four innings in the Asia Cup, Suryakumar Yadav has managed scores of 7*, 47, 0 and 5. Coupled with his struggles in the five-match T20I series against England earlier this year—where he amassed just 28 runs at an average of 5.60, including two ducks—the pattern suggests a troubling dip in form.
Once considered one of the most innovative batsmen in T20 cricket, the Indian T20I captain now appears hesitant in situations where he previously thrived. His signature 360-degree strokeplay has lost some of its decisiveness. Against England, he was dismissed attempting a whip off Saqib Mahmood, only to offer a simple catch at short mid-on.
In the next game, a leading edge off Carse ended his innings prematurely. Similar patterns have emerged in the Asia Cup. Against Bangladesh, a flick down the leg side failed to connect, resulting in a diving catch by wicketkeeper Jaker Ali, while earlier against Pakistan, mistimed shots again led to early departures.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar questioned Suryakumar Yadav’s shot selection amid these back-to-back failures in the Asia Cup.
Sunil Gavaskar has also urged Suryakumar Yadav to prioritise runs over experiments after India’s Super 4 clash against Bangladesh. While India’s unbeaten streak continued, the captain’s batting struggles have raised concerns ahead of the Asia Cup final.
Sunil Gavaskar slams Suryakumar Yadav for his experimentation in his batting position owing to low form in Asia Cup 2025
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned India’s decision to alter their batting order against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4 clash on September 24. The legendary opener believes skipper Suryakumar Yadav should have come in earlier to find some runs, especially after his first-ball duck against Pakistan, instead of pushing Shivam Dube to number three.
India went on to beat Bangladesh by 41 runs in Dubai, maintaining their unbeaten record and sealing a place in the Asia Cup final. However, the reshuffled batting order backfired, with both Dube and Suryakumar dismissed cheaply, exposing concerns around the captain’s form in the middle order.
Suryakumar’s leadership has been commendable, but with the bat he has yet to find rhythm. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Gavaskar pointed out that India’s captain should have focused on regaining confidence rather than experimenting.
“I think, sometimes, when you’re looking to give batters some practice, you tend to tweak the batting order a little. But I don’t think there should be too much change, because that can affect the team’s rhythm. Like everything else—batting, bowling—you need rhythm. Similarly, the batting order also needs a rhythm.
Occasionally, you can push someone up the order depending on the circumstances, but to send a finisher like Dube to number three was a bit tricky. Dube is usually a finisher at five or six, and moving him up was particularly difficult because Suryakumar, as captain, hadn’t scored runs in the previous game,” Gavaskar said.
The batting shuffle also saw Hardik Pandya at four, Tilak Verma at six and Axar Patel promoted to seven, with Sanju Samson once again pushed down the order. But the changes only unsettled India, as a run-out mix-up involving Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar proved costly. Reflecting on the captain’s dismissal, Gavaskar was blunt:
“It was important for the captain to come in and get a few runs. He came at number four and got out playing the same shot again. That is normally a very productive shot for him, no question about it. But when you’re struggling, maybe you shouldn’t play it until you’ve really got a feel for the surface.
Once you’ve settled and scored 25 or 30 runs, then you can play that shot. I think that was probably one area where India faltered a little, though luckily the bowlers saved their skin.”
The burden of captaincy seems to have added to Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles. In 27 T20I matches as captain, he has scored 617 runs at an average of 26.82, with one century and four fifties. In contrast, in matches where he has not led, he has accumulated 2,040 runs at 43.40, including three centuries and 17 half-centuries. The disparity is stark, suggesting that the responsibilities of leadership may be affecting his natural game and freedom at the crease.
Adding to the challenge is an unsettled batting position. Traditionally a number four, he has been shuffled between three, four and five this season. The lack of a fixed role has disrupted his rhythm and made it harder to regain form under pressure.The statistics underline the decline. In 2022 and 2023, Suryakumar was among the top T20I performers, averaging 46.6 and 48.9, respectively, with strike rates exceeding 150, hitting multiple centuries and half-centuries each season.
In 2024, his average dipped to 26.8, though his strike rate remained healthy at 151.6. In 2025, however, across nine innings, he has scored just 87 runs at an average of 12.4 and a strike rate of 113.0. His ability to clear the boundary has dipped, with only three sixes and a dot-ball percentage approaching 50%.
Thursday’s Super Four clash between Bangladesh and Pakistan has all the makings of a ‘virtual semi-final’, as it will decide India’s opponent in the summit clash. If Bangladesh’s batting performance is anything to go by, fans could be in for a third thrilling India-versus-Pakistan encounter for the continent’s biggest prize.
For Suryakumar Yadav, the Asia Cup final looms as both a test and an opportunity. His talent is unquestionable, but the twin pressures of captaincy and an unsettled batting order have coincided with a worrying slump in form. The team will be hoping their captain can rediscover his touch—not just to anchor the batting, but also to lead the side effectively in high-pressure situations.
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