NEW DELHI: India have emerged as a dominant force in T20Is under skipper Suryakumar Yadav but the form of 'Mr. 360' has now become a growing concern. Since taking over the captaincy in 2023, Suryakumar has led India in 22 matches, securing 17 wins and a win percentage of 79.54%. However, there has been a noticeable dip in his individual form since donning the captain's armband.
As captain, Suryakumar has played 22 matches, scoring 558 runs at an average of 26.57, with 1 century and 4 half-centuries. This is a major drop from the outstanding numbers he had when captaincy responsibility wasn't there. In 61 matches, he had scored 2040 runs at an average of 43.40, including 3 centuries and 17 half-centuries.
Despite his outstanding captaincy record, Suryakumar—the batter known for his audacious strokeplay—is struggling for form and searching for runs.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. In the recent five-match T20I series against England, which India won 4-1, his batting woes continued as he managed just 28 runs, including two ducks, at a disappointing average of 5.60. He repeatedly fell victim to his trademark flick shot against England’s fast bowlers.
Is captaincy affecting Suryakumar's batting?
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes Suryakumar’s reliance on leg-side shots has been exposed, with opponents formulating specific plans to counter him. Jaffer suggests that the right-hander needs to expand his shot selection and find ways to score in other areas, particularly on the off side, to regain his form.
"He has done a good job as captain. He knows his role, and I am sure he has the clarity that he needs to lead this group of players ahead of the World Cup next year. Only one or two changes might take place, maximum. It’s not easy for a player to play all three formats, but it’s good that he has the clarity to focus on one. He has done brilliant captaincy in the T20Is so far, but his personal form has been low as a batsman," Jaffer told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.