"Time is running out" - Amid poor form, Suryakumar Yadav warned of losing....

Former India player Aakash Chopra has raised concerns about Suryakumar Yadav's form heading into the third T20I of the series against England. Aakash Chopra said that Suryakumar Yadav could lose his No. 3 spot to Tilak Varma, who has been performing well in that position if he doesn't start scoring runs.

Suryakumar has struggled with his form in the ongoing home T20I series. He got out for a duck while batting at No. 3 in the first match and scored only 12 runs at No. 4 in the second. On the other hand, Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 19 at No. 4 in Kolkata and scored an unbeaten 72 at No. 3 in Chennai.

Suryakumar Yadav Needs to Be Spoken About Once Again - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that Suryakumar Yadav's position as India's No. 3 batter is under threat due to his recent poor form. Chopra added that Tilak Varma could permanently take over the No. 3 spot, regardless of whether a left-hander or right-hander is dismissed first.

"Suryakumar Yadav needs to be spoken about once again. As of now, a left-hander is coming in place of a left-hander and a right-hander is coming in place of a right-hander at No. 3. However, if Surya doesn't score runs, the genuine question will be to send Tilak at No. 3 whether a left-hander or right-hander gets out because Tilak scores runs whenever he plays at No. 3," he said.

"So you might be asked to give the No. 3 position to him. The No. 3 position used to be and should have been Suryakumar Yadav's. So this is a crucial moment because you cannot carry on the left-right philosophy for too long unless Surya scores runs. Time is running out, my friend," Chopra added.

The third T20I between India and England will take place in Rajkot on January 28. India took a 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first two matches in Kolkata (by seven wickets) and Chennai (by two wickets).

He Played an Unusual Shot in the First Match - Aakash Chopra

In the same video, Chopra emphasized that Suryakumar Yadav needs to regain his form in the ongoing T20I series against England. He pointed out that these are the only international matches Yadav is likely to play for some time, as he will not be part of the ODI squad or the upcoming Champions Trophy.

"Eventually, you need to score runs. He played an unusual shot in the first match, but that's his playing style. In the second match, he was slightly unlucky - played-on and got out. The third match has come, there will be two more matches after this, and then there will be no T20Is for a while. He is not there for ODIs, won't play the Champions Trophy, and then it is the IPL," Chopra said.

It's Otherwise Going Right for SKY in T20Is - Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged that Suryakumar Yadav has been performing well as a captain with good tactics in bowling rotations and field placements. However, Chopra emphasized that a leader needs to perform with the bat to command respect.

"It's otherwise going right for SKY in T20Is, he is rotating his bowlers well, the field placements are okay, tosses are going in his favor, and he is continuously winning, no one has been able to beat them, but the king cannot demand but has to command respect, and he needs to score runs to command respect," Chopra observed.

Suryakumar has scored 2,582 runs in 76 T20I innings at an average of 39.72. However, his recent form has been disappointing, with only 429 runs at an average of 26.81 from 17 innings in 2024. His struggles have continued into 2025, managing just 12 runs from two innings in the series against England.

Also read: Sunil Gavaskar hits back at Rohit Sharma after reports surface of BCCI complaint