IND vs SA: Will India Skipper Suryakumar Yadav Regain His Form Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026?

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, is under scrutiny for poor batting in the series against South Africa. His form has dipped since taking over, raising doubts about balancing captaincy and performance ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form has come under heavy scrutiny amid the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa. Suryakumar failed to deliver in the first two matches of the series against the Proteas in Cuttack and Mullanpur.

In the opening match at Barabati Cricket Stadium in Cuttack, Suryakumar Yadav smashed a six and a four before he was dismissed for 12 off 11 balls. In the second T20I, India's skipper yet again failed to come up with goods as he was removed for just 5 runs while the Men in Blue were chasing a 214-run target set by the visitors, which eventually folded for 162 and lost the match by 51 runs at Maharaj Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

Suryakumar Yadav’s twin failures in the first two matches of the series against South Africa have appeared to have added pressure on Team India management, who are looking for stability in the batting line-up amid experimentation ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Batting Struggles Post-Captaincy

Suryakumar Yadav’s failures in the first two matches of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa were an extension of his poor run of form since his elevation as a full-time T20I captain. The 35-year-old was appointed as a T20I captain in July last year, succeeding Rohit Sharma following his retirement from the format after India’s T20 World Cup triumph, defeating South Africa in the final.

After taking over the T20I captaincy, Suryakumar’s firepower has been declining, struggling to produce impactful performances consistently. In the Asia Cup 2025, though he led India to title win, the swashbucking batter did not have an ideal campaign as he scored just 72 runs at an average of 18 in six innings. In the Australia T20I series, Suryakumar aggregated 84 runs at an average of 28.00 in 5 matches.

Since taking over as India's T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav has aggregated 431 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 18.73 in 29 matches. This year alone, the veteran Mumbai batter has scored just 201 runs at an average of 14.35 in 19 matches. In these matches, Suryakumar Yadav did not score a single fifty, deepening concerns over his form.

Suryakumar Yadav’s batting struggles after taking over as T20I captain have become one of the major talking points among fans and analysts, raising questions about his ability to balance his leadership responsibilities with personal performance ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Suryakumar’s Form Raised Concern

Former India opener turned commentator Akash Chopra raised a serious concern about Suryakumar Yadav’s form, especially when the T20 World Cup is just around the corner. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra stated that the primary responsibility of Suryakumar as captain is to score runs rather than strategizing or managing the bowlers.

The former India opener also pointed out that Suryakumar has not scored a single T20I fifty in his last 20 innings, highlighting a worrying dip in form that could impact Team India’s batting stability ahead of the marquee event, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

“You are the team's captain, but a captain's job is not just to toss and manage the bowlers. It's not just about making the strategy. If you bat in the top four, your primary role is to score runs,” Aakash Chopra said.

“It's been many matches. If you have an average of 14 in 17 innings and the strike rate is also not very good, you don't have a single fifty, and have crossed 25 just twice, it's been a problem on either side of the IPL," he added.

Just as a player, Suryakumar Yadav has amassed 2040 runs, including 3 centuries, at an average of 43.40 in 61 matches. As a captain, the right-handed batter has scored 731 runs, including a century, at an average of 24.36 in 36 matches. This reflects a stark difference between prolific performances as a batter and his struggles to maintain consistency while leading the side, raising concerns about his ability to balance leadership duties with personal form.

Will SKY regain his Lost Form ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026?

As the captain of the India T20I team, Suryakumar Yadav is seemingly under pressure to deliver consistent performances with the bat alongside leading the Men in Blue, as his recent slump has raised concerns ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. The ‘vintage’ Suryakumar Yadav is now needed for Team India to rediscover his aggressive, match-winning form and lead by example with the bat ahead of the marquee event.

Suryakumar Yadav can still rediscover his lost form before the World Cup. With three matches left in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, and India’s T20I series against New Zealand in January, the Mumbai batter has crucial opportunities in hand to regain his lost form, rhythm, and deliver the big innings needed to lead India effectively at the T20 World Cup 2026.

Suryakumar’s sharp slump in form over the last one year has intensified scrutiny on his captaincy and batting, putting pressure on him to consistently perform in the remaining T20Is in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup 2026.

In his T20I career, Suryakumar Yadav has 2771 runs, including four centuries and 21 fifties, at an average of 35.98 in 97 matches.