Suryakumar Yadav labelled India’s biggest liability ahead of T20 World Cup by Gautam Gambhir’s ex-teammate

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has opined correctly on Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav's poor form in T20Is, as he mentioned a harsh truth that the team can find a new opener to replace Shubman Gill, but that would not be the case for Suryakumar Yadav, as a captain cannot be replaced.

After India's 51-run defeat to the South African side in the second game in New Chandigarh, captain Suryakumar Yadav has been criticised a lot for showcasing poor form. His form has been a major concern in recent times, as he has averaged 14 in 2025 and has amassed 201 runs throughout 17 games in the calendar year.

Alongside the captain, the vice-captain, who returned to the side, Shubman Gill, has also been largely lacking in form. He has failed to capitalize on this opportunity and has also been on a disappointing run, just like his skipper.

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“The biggest concern between Gill and Surya is Surya," Mohammad Kaif opined

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif stated that Suryakumar Yadav's return to form is more crucial from India's point of view than Shubman Gill's, since the team cannot move on from him.

He mentioned that Shubman Gill might be replaced by the likes of Sanju Samson or Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top if his form is not revived, but the captain is irreplaceable; he will continue to play despite his poor form and will be a burden to the team.

“The biggest concern between Gill and Surya is Surya. You can find a replacement for Gill; if Gill is out, you can bring in Sanju or call Jaiswal later. But Surya is going to play no matter what."

"Even if he performs poorly, you will not remove Surya and bring in another captain. That issue does not exist with Gill; if you drop Gill, you can replace him with another player. But Surya will stay. He is the one who will lead you in the World Cup,” stated Kaif in his YouTube live session.

"To win a World Cup, his form is essential," Kaif points out

Captain Suryakumar Yadav became a bigger concern, as his form matters for India's T20 World Cup plans, which is not more than 8 games away from now. He identified that Suryakumar is the captain, and if the captain scores runs, then his mind works better.

“That is why Surya has become a bigger concern. His form matters because you have to play the World Cup in a month and a half, and Surya is a big match T20 player. He is also the captain. To win a World Cup, his form is essential."

He also claimed that good form brings along good captaincy, suggesting that despite his unbeaten run in terms of series wins as the captain of India, he should revive his form to defend the World Cup title for India.

"When a captain is scoring runs, his mind works better, too. Remember, with good form, you also become a better captain. This is the connection with form. So I feel Surya’s return to form is absolutely necessary,” he added.

Mohammad Kaif helps Suryakumar Yadav identify the loopholes in his batting

Later during the same discussion, Kaif pointed out that taking Suryakumar's last two T20I innings into account, he has been adopting this tendency to poke at wider deliveries outside the off-stump.

He pointed out that Suryakumar Yadav is mindlessly walking into the traps of the bowlers. Surya, who is always praised for his flick shot, which he plays flawlessly, was caught in an attempt to flick a ball that swung from outside off stump, and he popped it up in an attempt to play it towards the leg side.

Kaif continued and pointed out a similar pattern of dismissal in the second game, as he poked at a delivery that was bowled outside the off stump. He also cautioned that this is quite similar to Virat Kohli's dismissals in Test cricket.

"He, too, has a bottom-hand dominant technique; he plays mostly on one side. Bowl outside off, he chases it,” Kaif revealed Suryakumar Yadav's biggest weakness.

"Sometimes, when you get a break, you need to use that time to work on technique. We have seen many times in the IPL that no one is a better leg-side player than him. So now he has to work on this,” opined the Indian batter.

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