Former India spinner Aakash Chopra gave his take on India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s form and said that a captain’s job is not just to bowl. Suryakumar has come a long way since India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. The Indian skipper has not scored a half-century in the shortest format in the last 20 innings, which are ominous signs for India heading into the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Amidst his poor form, there is widespread uproar over his declining returns as India prepare to defend their World T20 title at home. Sharing his views on Suryakumar’s poor formAakash Chopra said his job is not only to bowl and manage the bowlers but also to score runs for the team.
“You are the captain of the team, but a captain’s job is not just to bowl and manage the bowlers. It is not just about making a strategy. If you are batting in the top four, your primary role is to score runs. It has been a lot of matches. If you average 14 in 17 innings and the strike rate is also not very good, you don’t have a problem in either a 25 side or a fifty side, IPL,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
Chopra also mentioned that the form of Suryakumar and vice-captain Shubman Gill is a glaring concern in India ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“If you play at No. 3 or No. 4 and you don’t score runs and they don’t score consistently and for a long time, you won’t be that confident when you start the World Cup. So, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain and Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, scoring is absolutely necessary,” he added.
Since the 2024 FIFA T20 World Cup, Suryakumar has scored 431 runs from 26 innings at an average of 18.73 and a strike rate of 146.10, with two half-centuries to his credit. On the other hand, since his return to the T20I side in 2025, Shubman Gill has scored 263 runs from 14 innings at an average of 23.90 and a strike rate of 142.93, without a single half-century to his credit.
Their poor form cost India big time during the second T20I against South Africa, resulting in a loss of 51 runs. The men in blue will now look to make a blistering comeback in the third T20I at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on December 14. With eight matches remaining in the T20 World Cup, India desperately need Suryakumar and Gill to rediscover their form in the build-up to the tournament.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
December 13, 2025
