Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian captain, will have a lot to prove when he takes the field against Australia in the five-match T20I series beginning Wednesday, October 29, in Canberra. The right-handed batter, who turned 35 in September this year, might have led India to the Asia Cup triumph, but he would be the first one to admit that he has not led from the front when it comes to the bat in hand. Being woefully out of form would be an understatement, considering Suryakumar has not hit a single fifty in T20Is this year.
In the eight-team Asia Cup, which India won comfortably by beating Pakistan in the final, Suryakumar managed just 72 runs in seven matches, with his highest score being 47 not out against the arch-rival in the group stage encounter. When discussing the entire 2025 season, the experienced batter, also known as India's Mr. 360, scored 100 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 105.26.
His numbers haven't been that great since he took over as T20I captain in July 2024, registering just 330 runs with only two fifties. With the hostilities between India and Pakistan at an all-time high during the Asia Cup, Suryakumar's barren run with the bat went unnoticed, but the same wouldn't be the case against Australia. The time has come for the Indian captain to show his steel and lead from the front.
It's fair to say that a lot is riding on the upcoming five-match series against Australia, considering it is the biggest test possible for India, who will look to defend their T20 World Cup title next year.
{{/usCountry}}It's fair to say that a lot is riding on the upcoming five-match series against Australia, considering it is the biggest test possible for India, who will look to defend their T20 World Cup title next year.
{{/usCountry}}Suryakumar's form in 2025 is quite an anomaly considering the batter set the stage on fire in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season for the Mumbai Indians. The Indian T20 captain amassed 717 runs in 15 matches for the five-time champions at a staggering average of 65.18 and a fantastic strike rate of 167.91. So no one knows what is happening with him when it comes to taking the field for India.
Ahead of the first T20I against Australia, former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel stated that the need of the hour is for Surya to find form for the team and score the runs, so that India can dominate the series against Australia.
"More than the personal thing, I feel that it's important that Surya finds form for the team. Basically, we know what he can do as a batter; if he gets runs, he can completely destroy the opposition. So from that point of view, I feel that if Surya gets some runs, it will be very helpful for the team," said JioStar expert Parthiv during a select media interaction on Tuesday.
'No need to change the approach'
The former wicketkeeper-batter, who is also the assistant coach of the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, stated that there's no need for India to change their approach for the series against Australia, considering they have set the standard for the rest of the teams in the shortest format.
"I don't think India needs to change their approach at all. You change your approach, or you try to rectify something if it has gone wrong. So to me, I think India is playing fantastic cricket in the last 2-3 years, especially in this format. So I don't see India needs to change anything. I know the conditions are different. You just have to get used to the conditions and keep backing yourself," said Parthiv.
"When you are playing in Australia, obviously, the new ball seems to swing a little more than it did before. But another thing is that this team is playing in South Africa with the same approach. They have also performed well there. So that adjustment is only of the bounce. I am sure this Indian team is as prepared as you can see that adjustment," he added.
((Catch all the action from the 1st T20 of India’s tour of Australia 2025, tomorrow, October 29, 1:45 PM IST onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.))