Former India opener Aakash Chopra has weighed in on the growing debate around Suryakumar Yadav’s form, stressing that leadership in T20 cricket goes far beyond handling tosses and bowling changes. The former cricketer believes India’s T20I captain must also shoulder the responsibility of delivering consistent runs, especially with the T20 World Cup 2026 fast approaching on home soil.
Suryakumar has endured a prolonged lean patch since India lifted the T20 World Cup in 2024. Alarmingly, the Indian skipper has failed to register a half-century in his last 20 T20I innings, a statistic that has intensified scrutiny around his place and role in the side.
As expectations rise ahead of the title defence, Aakash Chopra feels this is a phase India cannot afford to ignore. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra underlined that a captain batting in the top order cannot be judged solely on leadership skills.
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“You are the captain of the team, but your job is not limited to the toss or managing bowlers. If you bat in the top four, your primary responsibility is to score runs. When the average is hovering around 14 across nearly 17 innings, the strike rate isn’t exceptional, and there isn’t even a single fifty, it becomes a serious concern,” Aakash Chopra remarked.
He also flagged India’s dual leadership issue, pointing out that both the captain and vice-captain are struggling for form. Aakash Chopra warned that entering a World Cup with uncertainty around key batters can dent the group’s confidence.
“If you are batting at No. 3 or No. 4 and runs aren’t coming consistently over a long period, it becomes difficult to feel settled when a major tournament begins. For India, Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill must start scoring again,” he added.
Since the T20 World Cup 2024, Suryakumar has amassed 431 runs in 26 innings at an average of 18.73 and a strike rate of 146.10, including just two half-centuries. Gill’s numbers aren’t much more reassuring either. Since returning to the T20I setup in 2025, the vice-captain has scored 263 runs from 14 innings at an average of 23.90 and a strike rate of 142.93, without a single fifty to his name.
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Their struggles were exposed during India’s 51-run defeat in the second T20I against South Africa. With eight T20Is left before the World Cup, starting with the third match in Dharamsala on December 14, the pressure is firmly on India’s leadership duo to rediscover form and momentum at the right time.
