From 2021 to 2023, Suryakumar Yadav was in God mode. He was untouchable. In 3 years, 2141 runs at 45.55. Barring him, no one with over 1000 runs struck at 160. What was his strike rate? A monstrous 171.55. It was an international peak no one had ever seen before.
T20I prowess combined with Indian Premier League (IPL) performance earned him the title of ‘India’s best-ever T20 batter.’ A late bloomer, Suryakumar had come of age. Pitch, bowler, venue, and opposition hardly mattered. Even with the accusations of failures in big tournaments like the 2022 T20 World Cup, Surya had an all-time great knock against South Africa in Perth to prove just how good he was. He wasn’t always the highest scorer, but no Indian batter had a bigger impact.
Decline since taking over India’s captain
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might’ve been bigger stars, but it was Suryakumar who was the T20I MVP. That’s why, when Rohit retired, he was chosen as the next captain. India, under him, became a behemoth. Post the 2024 T20 World Cup, India have lost just 7 matches. In the same duration, they’ve won 48. Yet, the old Suryakumar can’t be found.
Since taking over, Surya’s batting has seen a steady decline. For whatever reasons, perhaps the flatter pitches and home conditions of Wankhede Stadium, he hasn’t had any trouble in the IPL. But in T20Is, Surya has been India’s worst batter since he became captain.
In a time when Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan can all score at over 180 with ease, Surya isn’t even striking at 150. In the last 15 months, he has averaged just 27 and struck at 147. In his prime, he was scoring hundreds for fun. Now, even half-centuries are rarities.
Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I record
| Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until June 2024 | 65 | 2340 | 117 | 43.33 | 167.74 | 4 | 19 |
| Since July 2024 (took over as captain) | 40 | 921 | 84* | 27.08 | 151.98 | 0 | 6 |
| Since 2025 | 32 | 702 | 84* | 27 | 147.47 | 0 | 4 |
| In T20 World Cup 2026 | 8 | 242 | 84* | 34.57 | 137.50 | 0 | 1 |
Apart from that solitary knock against the USA in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which also came at his home ground in Mumbai, the tournament has been forgettable for him. Removing that, Surya has 158 runs in 7 innings. His strike rate goes from 137.50, which isn’t great in the first place, to 124.40. These are pedestrian numbers, which are worth dropping.
Unlike Abhishek, Suryakumar’s dip isn’t a one-off. Anyone watching the game closely will realise he isn’t starting as quickly. Even against weaker opposition, he can’t put his foot on the pedal from the get-go. And often even after getting his eye in, he hasn’t been able to explode. 12 (13) against Namibia, 34 (28) against the Netherlands, and 18 (16) against the West Indies. Mind you, neither of these teams has a world-class bowling attack.
Due to his lack of power and prowess down the ground, off-pace deliveries have been troubling. If you shut down the region behind the wicket, he has no answers. Spinners have started to bowl wide to him, which keeps the sweep away. For 2 years, Suryakumar has been caught wanting, but the improvement hasn’t come.
Times up?
That’s why the India vs New Zealand final in the 2026 T20 World Cup could be it for him. 2 years ago, India won the trophy in Barbados, and two greats of the game, Kohli and Rohit, retired. Suryakumar may not retire, but it might as well be his last T20I game for India.
The writing has been on the wall for a while. If he weren’t the captain, Surya would have been dropped by now. Shubman Gill was, and he was his deputy. Considering the next T20 World Cup is in 2028, India needs to start preparations now. Surya will be 38 by then. If he hasn’t been succeeding for the last 2 years, how can he be expected to perform 2 years down the line?
Furthermore, the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar, two players who might be better batters and captains at the moment, can’t even break into the side. How long can their exclusion, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s or Riyan Parag’s, be justified when your captain is the weakest link in the batting unit? Such has been India’s strength that they’ve carried him for 24 months, but for how long?
March 8 might be the time. For either Surya to call time himself or for the selectors and management to take the tough decision. The result of the T20 World Cup final may not matter.
Cricket
Is Suryakumar Kumar's future dependent on the outcome of IND vs NZ final?
