Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav poor T20I form in 2025 remains a key concern for Team India. In the second T20I against South Africa, the skipper scored only five runs off four balls, edging a delivery outside off straight to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.
The dropping exposed the worrying trend: Suryakumar’s confidence seems to be on a decline, and opposition bowlers looked like they were finding chinks that never stood out in the previous years. In Cuttack, in the 1st T20I, he looked out of sorts and scored only 12 to reiterating his dismal form in the tour so far.
The figures highlight the decline. In 2025, Suryakumar had an average of 14.35 in the tournament and his strike rate dipped to 126.41 despite getting 201 runs from 17 innings which is way below than what he used to do. He’s got three ducks this year, and his top score is 47 not out. Since the 2026 T20 World Cup is just two months away, his recent performances have started to ring alarm bells for the Indian management.
India Hopes for Suryakumar’s Return to Form
Suryakumar has only scored fifty or more twice in 26 innings since the 2024 T20 World Cup ended. This is far below par for a hitter known for his 360-degree shot making abilities. Throughout his T20I career, he has scored 2766 runs in 90 innings at a strike rate of more than 150, a benchmark that India sorely needs him to meet. Despite having a fantastic IPL 2025 season, his efforts for India this year have been relatively average.
India will look forward to a fightback from their captain, especially when the marquee global event is commencing on February 7. India are 1-0 up in the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa but have their work cut out in the second match. India had previously lost the Test series 2-0, but claimed the ODI series 2-1. Suryakumar’s return to the groove could be a key as India want some momentum ahead of the international event.
