CHENNAI: About a month ago, when India announced their T20 World Cup squad, skipper Suryakumar Yadav was listening to a question about himself. What happened to the Surya who dominated the shortest format? Where were the runs from his blade?
It was a question that has followed the India T20I skipper throughout 2025. After winning the Asia Cup in September, he had said he was only out of runs and not out of form.
But the runs refused to come. Against South Africa in December, he aggregated 34 runs across four innings. Post that series, he acknowledged the lean patch but opined that he knew what was wrong. "I am sure everyone has seen this in their respective careers. I will also overcome that. We have the New Zealand series coming up and then the important T20 World Cup as well. You will definitely see Surya back," he had said then.
He did have time to go back to drawing board and work on his batting. He even turned up for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy but the runs (24 and 15) were not many.
So, understandably, when the captain addressed the media ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand, his form and batting position was questioned, especially with no Tilak Varma in the squad. Surya, as he has done over the last 12 months, brushed it aside saying that he wants to keep doing what he has done in the last few years. "I've been out of runs. But I can't change my identity. I have decided to keep doing what I have been doing in the last three or four years so that has given me a lot of success," Surya said on Tuesday. "If the performance comes, I'll take it, if it doesn't, it's back to the drawing board. I'm still batting in the nets the way I always have."
It is a phrase he has used multiple times in the last 12 months but things have not changed. In 19 innings last year, Surya scored 218 runs at 13.62 average and 123.16 strike rate. That is not what he would want as a captain going into a T20 World Cup, especially as defending champions at home. Surya, however, said that individual form does not count for much in a team sport and that he has to take care of the other 14 players. "Had I been playing a single (individual) sport like TT or tennis, I would have worried about my form. But this is team sport and my first responsibility is to ensure that my team does well. If team wins, I am happy and if I can contribute in team's success, then fine. If not, doesn't matter as it can happen. But I have to look at 14 other players also and there is no place for looking at personal milestones," Surya said.
Even though that is true, Surya might want to find some runs soon. If not, it may not be long before his place in the playing XI comes into the equation. And that is the last thing India would want with a T20 World Cup title to defend over the next month and a half.
