In his last 13 matches and 12 innings, all as the Indian captain, Suryakumar has scored just 256 runs at an average of 21.33, with a strike rate of 167.32. He has scored only two half-centuries, with a best score of 75
Our Bureau
Rajkot/Mumbai
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav continued his form slump in T20 cricket during the third T20I against England at Rajkot on Tuesday. India’s T20 captain could very well be feeling the burden of captaincy, as he registered a score of just 14 runs off seven balls, including a four and a six. His scores during this series have been: 0, 12, and 14.
In his last 13 matches and 12 innings, all as the Indian captain, Suryakumar has scored just 256 runs at an average of 21.33, with a strike rate of 167.32. He has scored only two half-centuries, with a best score of 75.
This slump has affected his overall T20I stats, with his batting average dropping below 40. In 81 T20Is, he has accumulated 2,596 runs at an average of 39.33, with a strike rate of 167.70. He has scored four centuries and 21 fifties, with a best score of 117.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s top domestic T20 competition, Suryakumar had a mixed outing, scoring 132 runs in five innings at an average of 26.40, with just one half-century and a best score of 70. A 48-run knock in the final helped guide Mumbai to the title.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Despite a fine 76-run partnership between Ben Duckett (51 off 28 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and captain Jos Buttler (24 off 22 balls, with a four and a six), England lost wickets regularly to spinners. Despite a fighting 43 off 28 balls by Liam Livingstone (one four and five sixes), England could only manage 171/9 in their 20 overs.
Chakravarthy (5/24) was the top wicket-taker for India, with Hardik Pandya claiming two wickets. Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel also took a wicket each.
Amid Suryakumar Yadav’s lean form, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Tuesday expressed confidence in the T20I captain, stating that he is “playing for the team.”
Since India’s successful campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, Suryakumar has struggled to regain his dominant form. Following the famous triumph in Barbados, he has managed only two fifties and scored 242 runs at an average of 23.
The dynamic batter even demoted himself from the number three to the number four position during the South Africa series to accommodate Tilak Varma and maintain the team’s balance.
In the ongoing T20I series against England, Suryakumar has tried to play aggressively, but his efforts haven’t yielded significant results. In his last two outings, the Indian skipper has scored only 12 runs, averaging just six, with a strike rate of 120.00.
As the T20I action shifts from Chennai to Rajkot, Kotak has come out in support of Suryakumar, stating he is “selfless” and “playing for the team”.
“He has been performing, but sometimes I feel we also expect a lot. Like every game if we think Surya or we think Adi or we think anyone… the game has become so aggressive, and that’s the intent we have to play with in T20. There will be a time when batters will get out because they are playing fearless. They are playing selfless. If you want to score 200 or 225 and if you are careful and trying to save your wickets, both things won’t go hand in hand,” Kotak said in the pre-match press conference before the third T20I on Tuesday.
Despite Suryakumar’s current form, Kotak noted that his batting approach remains unchanged, reminiscent of when runs flowed freely from his bat, and he could target boundaries at will.
“So, he is definitely a person who is playing for the team. He is very, very selfless, and that’s what he is telling the whole group of batters we have to be selfless. So, I think obviously, there are games when people perform, and there are some games when… But, the way he is batting, he is in the same flow as he was before,” he added.
