Suryakumar Yadav begs AB de Villiers for help amid horrible form

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has openly admitted that he is struggling to strike the right balance between T20I and ODI cricket. Now, Suryakumar Yadav wants to take inspiration from South African legend AB de Villiers, who mastered both formats with ease.

The stylish Indian batter is facing one of the toughest phases of his career. Despite leading India to Asia Cup 2025 glory, Suryakumar’s recent form with the bat has become a major concern. In his last nine T20I innings, he has crossed the 30-run mark only twice.

Suryakumar Yadav wants to crack the ODI-T20I balance

Four of those innings ended in single digits, and even he was once dismissed for a duck. On the other hand, Suryakumar’s ODI numbers tell a worrying story. In 35 ODI innings, he has managed just 773 runs at an average of 25.76. Now, he hasn’t been part of India’s ODI plans since 2023.

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Speaking about his struggles, Suryakumar Yadav admitted that he has been consistent in the T20Is but hasn’t yet found the right approach for ODI cricket. The 35-year-old has shared that he wants to learn from AB de Villiers on how to manage both formats successfully.

Suryakumar Yadav said on Vimal Kumar's YouTube channel, "If I meet him soon, then I would like to ask him how he managed to balance his T20I and ODI games. I haven't been able to do so. I thought ODIs should be played like T20Is. I want to ask him what he did to be successful in both formats.”

The Indian skipper further added, “AB, if you are listening to this, please get in touch with me quickly because there are three or four important years ahead for me. I'm very keen on playing ODI cricket as well. Please help me! I couldn't balance T20Is and ODIs.”

Suryakumar Yadav celebrates Team India's effort in the 3rd T20I

Away from his personal struggles, Suryakumar did have something to celebrate recently. Under his captaincy, India won the third T20I by five wickets against Australia to level the ongoing five-match T20I series 1-1 after the first match was washed out in Canberra.

Washington Sundar’s explosive unbeaten 49 and Arshdeep Singh’s crucial three wickets played key roles in India’s thrilling win. The inclusion of Sundar, Arshdeep, and Jitesh Sharma in India’s XI proved to be a masterstroke. Jitesh chipped in with a quick 22* in his comeback match.

Suryakumar further noted, “Absolutely. Those guys were practicing really hard and waiting for their chance. Washi (Washington Sundar) showed great flexibility, Jitesh contributed well, and Arshdeep was outstanding. It felt like the right combination tonight.”

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Morne Morkel stresses flexibility as key to India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 success

Meanwhile, India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, has emphasized the importance of flexibility and experimentation as the team gears up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. With the mega tournament approaching, Morkel believes India’s success will depend on how well players can adapt to different situations and roles as India continues to experiment in the T20Is.

He stressed that having multiple options and combinations is crucial in modern cricket, where versatility often decides the outcome of big games. Morkel stated, “You need to have options available. Every team across the world is playing around with options. In this game, you need to be adaptable, and certain players can give you options in different roles.”