'Hiding in dugout': Gautam Gambhir’s ex-teammate exposes Suryakumar Yadav amid form crisis

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav led India to another win under his leadership, but once again failed to put on a promising show with the bat. One of Gautam Gambhir's former teammates fired shots at Suryakumar Yadav for hiding in the dugout.

India bounced back in Dharamsala to gain an advantage in the 5-match T20I series. Having lost on the previous occasion in New Chandigarh, the Indian contingent looked determined to turn the tables amid the mountains. The bowlers did a remarkable job, and the rest was for the batters to chase.

The chase was a cakewalk for the Indian team, but this was probably the finest of opportunities for the Indian captain and vice-captain to revive their form by taking their time to play a significant innings and get some runs on the scoreboard.

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"Questions are about his form" - Mohammad Kaif questions Suryakumar Yadav's intent in Dharamsala

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif looked displeased by the fact that Suryakumar Yadav did not come out to bat at no. 3 on this occasion, as it was the ideal opportunity for the skipper to get his form back on track.

Kaif reckoned that India were chasing a very small target and had a stunning start with Abhishek Sharma firing up in the powerplay; all that was needed was for Suryakumar Yadav to come in and play his natural game and score an unbeaten 30-40 runs to take his team home with a lead.

"It would have been good for the upcoming matches. He is a solid player, and no one is questioning his ability with the bat," Kaif said.

"Questions are about his form. He has been a good player; hence, questions are about his form. He had a good opportunity to bat and stay not out, which could have been good for the remaining T20Is before the World Cup. One inning can transform a player into a different player. When Tilak Varma was sent at No. 3, cameras were at Suryakumar Yadav," he continued.

"You can’t hide in the dugout if you want to make a comeback" - Mohammad Kaif

Mohammad Kaif also claimed that whenever a batter is low on confidence, they are bound to have second thoughts; however, that doesn't mean one will hide in the dugouts.

"But you have to be brave. You can’t hide in the dugout if you want to make a comeback. You have to face that challenge to rise from that phase," opined Mohammad Kaif on Suryakumar Yadav.

He also observed that when Suryakumar Yadav finally came out to bat, there were hardly any runs to be chased; even if he had not been dismissed, he would not have made more than 20 runs, but had he turned out before, he could have had the opportunity to play deeper into the innings.

"Shubman Gill’s intent in those 10-15 balls was excellent" - Mohammad Kaif

Shubman Gill waited and took some time to craft his innings on this occasion. Though Gill looked firm initially, he got out later in an attempt to hit the ball too hard after runs stopped coming easily.

"Shubman Gill’s intent in those 10-15 balls was excellent. The footwork was also outstanding in the first boundary he picked up. His plan was to hit a four in every ball, but he was not searching for it. It was the correct plan. His body language was one of wanting to place the ball well," noticed Mohammad Kaif.

He also observed that when Gill was dismissed, he had thrown his hands at the ball, which exposed the inner half of his bat. Kaif suggests this happened due to the lack of form and big innings for the Indian batter. He mentioned that Gill himself would have surely understood that he missed out on a very good opportunity to bounce back.

"Cricket is a game of form. If you get lazy or late with your footwork, the wicket falls. A batter cannot afford to play even one shot wrong, and Gill played one wrong shot to get out," he concluded.

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