"He won't be India's captain in the World Cup" Suryakumar Yadav not spared an inch by former batter after disastrous form in T20s

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav's form with the bat in T20Is has turned out to be a major concern for the Indians ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra has also slammed Yadav, as the captain should not just be at tosses but should also be contributing to the scoreboard.

India might have been dominating the shortest format of the game ever since Suryakumar Yadav took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma; however, he has seen a massive dip in his form. In over 17 innings in 2025, Surya amassed just 201 runs at a humiliating average of around 14.

Undoubtedly, Surya has served the purpose of captaincy, but he has been in some humiliating form for a long time with the bat. In the ongoing series against South Africa, he has scored 11 and 5 runs in two innings, and that has cost India big time.

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"If you bat in the top four, your primary role is to score runs,” said Aakash Chopra, slamming Suryakumar Yadav's poor form

After Suryakumar was once again dismissed for just 5 runs when India needed him to play a fine innings to chase the mammoth total of 214 runs, criticisms grew louder, and a serious bashing came from former Indian batter Aakash Chopra.

Chopra, who is undoubtedly one of the most no-nonsense cricket analysts of this era, has emphasised the fact that Suryakumar needs to do some talking with the bat as the teams gear up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

“You are the team's captain, but a captain's job is not just to toss and manage the bowlers. It's not just about making the strategy. If you bat in the top four, your primary role is to score runs,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"It's been many matches. If you have an average of 14 in 17 innings and the strike rate is also not very good, you don't have a single fifty, and have crossed 25 just twice, it's been a problem on either side of the IPL," he added.

“I am not saying there is any doubt over Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy," clarifies Chopra

Though runs might not be coming for Suryakumar Yadav, there is nothing much to complain about regarding his tenure as India's captain. His captaincy record is one to flex for, and SKY has repeatedly been talking of the team's performance to kind of avoid his personal failures.

“I am not saying there is any doubt over Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, or that he won't be India's captain in the World Cup. I am not suggesting that at all, so don't ever misquote me, but the truth is that he needs to score runs,” said Chopra.

India has lost just 6 matches under his captaincy and has not lost a single series. Undoubtedly, under him, India remains one of the firm contenders to defend their title in the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup at home.

Suryakumar Yadav himself admitted his poor form is affecting the team

Alongside Suryakumar's poor form, Shubman Gill's poor form has also been a major concern for the Men in Blue. They have struggled to score runs for India at the top, which has affected India, especially in chases.

“If you are playing at No. 3 or No. 4 and are not scoring runs, and they aren't being scored consistently and over a long period of 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 runs is absolutely imperative,” concluded Chopra.

Even Suryakumar Yadav had accepted the fact that Abhishek Sharma cannot always win India matches; some days, he might not have the finest of outings. He had also accepted that Shubman Gill and he himself should do some of the scoring, just like Tilak Varma contributes significantly in the middle order.

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