Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Australian heights will help Suryakumar Yadav rediscover his rhythm after an uneven run in T20Is. The Indian skipper, once the world No.1 in T20Is, has struggled for form this year, scoring just 100 runs in 12 matches at an average of 11.11.
Suryakumar’s strike rate has also dropped to 105.26, raising concerns ahead of the upcoming T20I series against Australia in India. Taking to his YouTube channel, Pathan said that India will be worried about their captain’s form and noted that the star batsman has failed to translate his IPL dominance into international performances.
“One concern is Suryakumar Yadav’s form. His strike rate has been around 166 and nobody has scored more than him in T20Is in recent times. But recently his average has dropped to around 20 and he hasn’t converted starts into big scores. His IPL form has been great but he hasn’t carried it over to internationals,” said Pathan.
The 34-year-old has enjoyed a stellar IPL 2025 season, amassing 717 runs for Mumbai Indians.
SURYAKUMAR CAN EASILY RESTORE FORM
However, Pathan backed Suryakumar to regain contact in Australia and was confident that the conditions there would suit his style of play. The former cricketer said the extra pace and bounce on offer could help the Indian skipper find his fluency again.
“Still, I feel the Australian pitches will help him regain his rhythm. He uses the pace of the bowlers beautifully and plays the second wicket very well. Remember his debut knock – taking down Jofra Archer with his pace? That’s his trademark. If the bounce works in his favour, he could easily bounce back,” Pathan said.
Looking at the series, Pathan predicted a comfortable win for India.
“The first match will be in Canberra at Manuka Oval. In my opinion, if India play their best cricket, they can win the series 4-1. Even though it’s in Australia, India look the stronger team.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
October 29, 2025
