Cometh the hour, cometh the man. For 18 months, the Suryakumar Yadav the world knew went missing in T20I cricket. He wasn’t even averaging 15 from November 2024 to December 2025. Who would’ve thought the world’s best batter would have such a drop-off? Coming into the T20 World Cup 2026, he was perhaps the best worry for India.
Teams and venues changed, but Suryakumar’s performance didn’t. The New Zealand series was supposed to be the final chance for the Indian T20I captain to return to his best. And he did. Three half-centuries in 5 matches. But most importantly, his strike was back to where it used to be, 196.74.
Suryakumar Yadav makes Wankhede bow down
Coming into the T20 World Cup, his return to form was the biggest positive. All of a sudden, the only chink in India’s armour didn’t exist. It was a cause of concern for the opposition to stop him. The United States of America (USA) learnt firsthand what Suryakumar can do when on.
On his captaincy debut in the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar saved India from trouble. From 77/6 in 12.4 overs, he took the Men in Blue to 161. He had scored just 21 (22) when Hardik Pandya departed. India scored 84 runs in the remaining 7.2 overs. Of these, 63 came from Surya’s willow, and that too, from just 27 balls.
During his peak, 2021-23, there was no area of the field he couldn’t access. In the India vs USA match, he exhibited how. He swept the ball from outside off to the leg side. His infamous ‘supla’ shot was back. He pierced gaps on the offside with his elite wrist. It felt like we’d entered a time machine and gone back a couple of years.
Traditionalists would define his innings as a captain’s knock. Of the 161 runs India scored, 84 came off his bat. That’s more than 50%. Mind you, most of these runs came when Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy were batting alongside him. In the process, Suryakumar registered the fifth-highest score by a captain in T20 World Cup history. And what a time to do that.
Highest scores by a captain in Men’s T20 World Cup
- 98 (66) – Chris Gayle vs India, 2010
- 92 (41) – Rohit Sharma vs Australia, 2024
- 88 (50) – Chris Gayle vs Australia, 2009
- 85 (48) – Kane Williamson vs Australia, 2021
- 84* (49) – Suryakumar Yadav vs USA, 2026
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