His last half-century came in October 2024.
Being Suryakumar Yadav was quite effortless. The ability to swivel across the crease and torcher the bowlers by hitting them to almost every part of the field was the essence of the Indian T20I skipper. The 35-year-old would carve out shots that one can only imagine, like it was business as usual. But the form of India’s best T20I batter has started to spark concerns in the minds of fans and experts alike.
Suddenly, the slump in form has started to become visible. The balls aren’t flying off the bat for fun, and Suryakumar at the crease is not instilling the same promise that he once used to. It is not a matter of ‘if he will or not’ bounce back to form. But with the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, the all-important question is – ‘When will Suryakumar Yadav return to form?’
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the coveted tournament, which sets sail on February 7, 2026. Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of the side for the series against Australia and South Africa, was dropped, citing a combination of concerns and the fact that he was short of runs. However, for the T20I skipper as well, the case is not much different.
“They know what will happen the day I blast”, he said at a recent event in Ahmedabad.
Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that Tilak Varma would be batting at No.3 for the Blues in the upcoming T20 World Cup, with him taking the No.4 spot. Shubman Gill’s absence means the focus will shift towards Sanju Samson at the top of the order. That being said, all eyes will be on SKY and his approach during the five-match series against New Zealand, which will be good preparation for both teams in the lead-up to the mega-event.
The T20I skipper has not managed to score a half-century in 2025. His last fifty came against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in October 2024. Though it may seem a huge cause of concern for the Indian batter, there are some patterns which can lead us to the cause of his dismissals.
If we look at the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, Suryakumar Yadav managed a mere 34 runs in four innings. His trigger movement has seen something extra happening, which can be the root cause of his dismissals against pace.
This is an instance from the 3rd T20I between India and South Africa, during which Suryakumar Yadav scored 12 runs. The picture on the left is before Lungi Ngidi released the delivery, in which he is in his ‘after the trigger movement’ position. However, after Ngidi releases the ball, Suryakumar makes another slight trigger – which results in his back foot going away from the stumps again.
This keeps his head moving, which is exactly opposite to what a batter ideally would want it to be. The Mumbai Indians batter has been successful in his T20I career despite his trigger movement across the stumps, due to the ability to stay balanced and stable at the time of release. However, that is one thing which Suryakumar is missing out on.
A similar instance occurred in the fifth and final T20I, when Suryakumar Yadav was once again dismissed cheaply, trying to go over the fielder at mid-off. However, a similar movement resulted in the ball not getting enough elevation to land straight into the hands of David Miller. This is one of the major adjustments that the Mumbai batter will have to make.
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This is an instance from the 1st T20I against the Proteas. Suryakumar Yadav pelted this delivery for a maximum over the mid-wicket region. The only difference being – this time, there was no pulling back of the back foot after the release of the delivery. The foot was planted in the same place even after release, which helped him stay balanced en route to the shot.
The skipper would have to make these adjustments well in time before the T20 World Cup 2026 to make sure that he gets back amongst the runs. Suryakumar Yadav in complete control is one of the best sights to watch for the fans out there, who would be hoping that it happens soon.
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