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SPORTS FEBRUARY 07, 2025 | The Indian Eye 36

SURYAKUMAR YADAV

A slump in form or burden of captaincy?

Batting coach backs the ‘selfless’ batter

In his last 13 matches and 12 innings, all as the Indian captain, Suryakumar has

scored just 256 runs at an average of 21.33, with a strike rate of 167.32. He has

scored only two half-centuries, with a best score of 75

OUR BUREAU

Rajkot/Mumbai
ndian skipper Suryakumar Yadav continued his
form slump in T20 cricket during the third T20I
Iagainst England at Rajkot on Tuesday. India’s
T20 captain could very well be feeling the burden
of captaincy, as he registered a score of just 14 runs
off seven balls, including a four and a six. His scores
during this series have been: 0, 12, and 14.
In his last 13 matches and 12 innings, all as the
Indian captain, Suryakumar has scored just 256
runs at an average of 21.33, with a strike rate of
167.32. He has scored only two half-centuries, with
a best score of 75.
This slump has affected his overall T20I stats,
with his batting average dropping below 40. In 81
T20Is, he has accumulated 2,596 runs at an aver-
age of 39.33, with a strike rate of 167.70. He has
scored four centuries and 21 fifties, with a best
score of 117.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s top
domestic T20 competition, Suryakumar had a
mixed outing, scoring 132 runs in five innings at an
average of 26.40, with just one half-century and a
best score of 70. A 48-run knock in the final helped
guide Mumbai to the title.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and
opted to bowl first. Despite a fine 76-run partner-
ship between Ben Duckett (51 off 28 balls, with India’s Captain Suryakumar Yadav during a practice session ahead of the 3rd T20I match against England in Rajkot (ANI)
seven fours and two sixes) and captain Jos Buttler
(24 off 22 balls, with a four and a six), England lost The dynamic batter even demoted himself a time when batters will get out because they are
wickets regularly to spinners. Despite a fighting 43 from the number three to the number four posi- playing fearless. They are playing selfless. If you
off 28 balls by Liam Livingstone (one four and five tion during the South Africa series to accommo- want to score 200 or 225 and if you are careful and
sixes), England could only manage 171/9 in their date Tilak Varma and maintain the team’s balance. trying to save your wickets, both things won’t go
20 overs. In the ongoing T20I series against England, hand in hand,” Kotak said in the pre-match press
Chakravarthy (5/24) was the top wicket-taker Suryakumar has tried to play aggressively, but his conference before the third T20I on Tuesday.
for India, with Hardik Pandya claiming two wick- efforts haven’t yielded significant results. In his last Despite Suryakumar’s current form, Kotak
ets. Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel also took a wicket two outings, the Indian skipper has scored only 12 noted that his batting approach remains un-
each. runs, averaging just six, with a strike rate of 120.00. changed, reminiscent of when runs flowed freely
Amid Suryakumar Yadav’s lean form, In- As the T20I action shifts from Chennai from his bat, and he could target boundaries at
dia’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Tuesday to Rajkot, Kotak has come out in support of will.
expressed confidence in the T20I captain, stating Suryakumar, stating he is “selfless” and “playing “So, he is definitely a person who is playing for
that he is “playing for the team.” for the team”. the team. He is very, very selfless, and that’s what
Since India’s successful campaign in the T20 “He has been performing, but sometimes I he is telling the whole group of batters we have to
World Cup 2024, Suryakumar has struggled to re- feel we also expect a lot. Like every game if we be selfless. So, I think obviously, there are games
gain his dominant form. Following the famous tri- think Surya or we think Adi or we think anyone... when people perform, and there are some games
umph in Barbados, he has managed only two fifties the game has become so aggressive, and that’s the when... But, the way he is batting, he is in the same
and scored 242 runs at an average of 23. intent we have to play with in T20. There will be flow as he was before,” he added.

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