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AB de Villiers tells Suryakumar Yadav to tweak his mindset, calls him ‘overly greedy’: 'It's a personal thing…'
AB de Villiers said Suryakumar Yadav’s repeated dismissals to slower balls aren’t a weakness but an opportunity to tweak technique and mindset.
Proteas legend AB de Villiers has commented on Suryakumar Yadav’s struggles against slower balls, a vulnerability that has been repeatedly exposed in recent matches. The Indian T20I skipper has hit a rough patch this year, which has put him under the scanner. In 2025, Indian skipper Suryakumar has endured a severe slump, accumulating just 100 runs across 11 innings at an average barely above 9. He took over India's T20I captaincy last year, but he has managed only 330 runs in 20 innings, a stark contrast to his usual consistency, raising concerns about his technique and confidence at the crease.
De Villiers has weighed in on Suryakumar's recent struggles, suggesting that repeated dismissals to slower deliveries are less a weakness and more an opportunity to adjust technique and mindset. He emphasised that recognising and capitalising on these deliveries could help Surya regain confidence and consistency at the crease.
"I wouldn't say it's a weakness but when you start getting out to the same delivery over and over again, you've to tweak a couple of things in your technique and more so your mindset than anything else. It's just a matter of him seeing it as an opportunity, he picks up it's a slower ball and he wants more than just one or two runs," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
Surya recently led India to the Asia Cup triumph, but his form there was also a bit underwhelming, with no fifty-plus score coming from his bat.
Meanwhile, the South African veteran praised Suryakumar's approach against slower deliveries, highlighting his attacking mindset. He noted that SKY's ability to pick up the length and pace of the ball quickly is a key strength, allowing him to spot scoring opportunities and maintain an aggressive, proactive style at the crease.
"I think it's more a case of when he sees a slower ball, he sees opportunities. So I like the fact that he has got an attacking mindset. And the minute he sees it, he sees it so early and that is one of his biggest strengths - he picks up length and the pace of the ball very quickly," he added.
‘SKY maybe a little bit overly greedy…’
De Villiers noted that Suryakumar's occasional over-aggressiveness is more a mindset issue than a technical flaw. He suggested that the Indian T20I skipper focus on finding gaps, rotating the strike, and prioritising smart shot selection over big hits, allowing him to maximise scoring opportunities while minimising risk at the crease.
"He maybe a little bit overly greedy and that's maybe just a mindset tweak. I wouldn't be too concerned about it but it's a personal thing for him to figure out. Find spaces in the field and make sure you get two. Maybe keep it on the floor and try to get a four instead of big sixes," said De Villiers.
