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Irfan Pathan flags Suryakumar Yadav's form a worrying sign for India ahead of T20 World Cup: ‘As a captain you need…’
Irfan Pathan admitted Suryakumar Yadav’s form is a concern for India before the World Cup, saying a captain short of runs is never a good sign.
With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, attention is firmly on the players’ form, particularly that of skipper Suryakumar Yadav. India is set to announce its World Cup squad on Saturday, and the main concern remains Yadav’s inconsistent batting. Despite his patchy form, India’s momentum under his captaincy has stayed strong, building on the foundation laid during Rohit Sharma’s tenure. The Men in Blue have continued their winning ways, claiming the Asia Cup and recording impressive series victories in Australia and South Africa.
Suryakumar, once the top-ranked T20I batter in the ICC charts, has struggled significantly since the last T20 World Cup. Over 31 matches, he has managed only 448 runs at an average of 17.92 and a strike rate of 143.13. His form has dipped further in 2025, scoring just 218 runs in 21 games at a strike rate of 123.16, with his batting average falling below 14 and failing to register a single fifty this year.
In a selected media interaction, veteran all-rounder Irfan Pathan told Hindustan Times that Surya's current form is a genuine worry for Team India ahead of the World Cup, adding that having a captain struggling to score consistently is never a positive sign for any side.
“I feel the concern is definitely there because as a captain you need to bat really well, you need to be in form going into the big tournament, especially a tournament like World Cup, you want your best player to be in top form so you're not worrying about you know what's going to happen, how you're going to get the runs. So there is a concern," JioStar expert Irfan Pathan told the Hindustan Times while addressing the media on JioStar Press Room with 50 days to go for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026.
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Pathan highlighted his worries over Surya's prolonged slump, pointing out both his declining run tally and strike rate, stressing the need for him to regain form ahead of the World Cup.
“My concern is him not scoring runs, not only that but his strike rate is going down as well. His strike rate is generally 166, but now it has come down to 119, especially in the last year. So that's the concern for me but if he gets his role right, if he actually starts scoring runs, because he's going to be playing a major role," Pathan added.
“In some big games Abhishek Sharma might get out cheaply…”
The former all-rounder emphasised that pressure on India’s middle order would ease considerably if Surya finds his rhythm, underlining the captain’s form as crucial for team stability alongside Abhishek Sharma’s high-risk approach at the top.
“Look, the kind of cricket Abhishek Sharma is playing, there might be situations in some big games he might get out cheaply because that's the kind of cricket he plays and that's why he's been successful as well, but does he need to change? He doesn't need to change and when you have that high-risk cricket, you have tendency to get out as well. So the pressure will come on the middle-order batters and when you have in-form Suryakumar Yadav, that's a whole different game," he added.
He further expressed hope that Surya regains his form, stays at the crease longer, faces more deliveries, and finds consistency in the lead-up to the World Cup.
“So we just hope that Surya gets into the form and you know he finds his way, finds his way to actually just stay a bit more longer, play more deliveries and hopefully you know going into the World Cup before he'll get few opportunities as well. Hopefully, he'll be able to get that right," he stated.
Pathan signed off by pointing out that every World Cup-bound side carries its own set of concerns, stressing that no team enters a global tournament with a flawless, worry-free build-up.
“No team in the world goes into the World Cup without any concern. There is nothing like 100 per cent clean slate," he concluded.
