Just before the T20 World Cup begins on February 7, India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, led from the front in his team’s commanding 4-1 series victory over New Zealand. SKY claimed that a brief break following the South Africa series last year and a deliberate shift in his batting strategy helped him rediscover his touch.
Suryakumar recovered admirably to finish as the top run scorer and player-of-the-series against New Zealand after going through a rare dry spell in 2025 without scoring a single half-century.
The turnaround occurred after a period of introspection following the South Africa series in December, where he had only achieved 34 runs in four innings with a top score of 12.
“After the South Africa series break, I returned home, stored my kit bag, and took a complete 9-10 day rest. As the new year began, I resumed practice, reflecting on the previous year’s shortcomings – particularly my strike-rate in the initial overs. In 2021-23, I attacked from the first 5-10 balls at a strike-rate of 200-250; now, I settle in over the first 5-7 balls, doubling my strike-rate thereafter. This approach clicked from the very first game in Nagpur, building momentum that revived my form,” PTI quoted the Indian T20I skipper as saying on ‘Amul Cricket Live’ following their 46-run win over New Zealand in the fifth and final rubber in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
After assuming the captaincy, Suryakumar, one of India’s best T20 batters, had trouble being consistent. For the first time, his yearly strike rate fell below 150 in 2025, when he scored just 218 runs from 21 games with an average of 13.62 and a strike rate of 123.16.
However, he reached his peak at the right moment, scoring 242 runs at an average of 80.66 and a strike rate of 196.74 in five games against New Zealand as India amassed three totals of 200 or more, including their third-highest T20I aggregate of 271 for five in the last game. Add to that, Ishan Kishan made a spectacular comeback, while Abhishek Sharma maintained his scorching run at the top.
With India hoping to win the T20 World Cup for the third time and second time in a row, Suryakumar stated: “Home games always bring pressure, but without it, there’s no thrill in the sport. Chasing a historic back-to-back World Cup win on home soil, no team has done it before, feels like a rewarding responsibility and positive pressure. With massive crowd support across venues, I’m excited, and the team shares that enthusiasm.”
The team combination has also been adjusted to maximize batting potency without sacrificing bowling strength, according to Suryakumar and he also encouraged his batters to play freely as well.
“In high-risk T20s with explosive top-order batting, we need an extra specialist batter at No. 7 or 8. Our core bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel, can deliver full 16 overs, providing a massive edge. Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube (2-2 overs each), and occasionally Abhishek Sharma offer flexibility, making a seven-batter plus all-rounder setup with an eighth batter ideal for the World Cup squad.”
“Each player brings their unique identity – Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson all bat true to their style from state and franchise levels. I’ve encouraged them to stick with it: hit a six on the first ball if it suits, making on-field decisions based on pitch conditions. Their fearless approach has simplified my captaincy.”
Suryakumar stated that the final decision about the wicketkeeper-batter for the opener’s spot will be made prior to their World Cup start against the USA at the Wankhede on Saturday, despite Kishan’s impressive recovery from the wilderness strengthening his cause.
“Tilak Varma’s status remains uncertain, I’ve got to know that he’s batting well and looking sharp. His return would create a selection dilemma, as all 15 squad members are playing XI contenders. The final call on Ishan Kishan versus Sanju Samson for the opener role will be revealed on February 7th,” SKY said.
