India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his commitment to maintaining his aggressive batting style despite facing a dip in form as the T20 World Cup approaches. With a warm-up series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday in Nagpur, he aims to regain his rhythm ahead of the tournament commencing on February 7.
The 35-year-old cricketer, who was once the ICC’s top-ranked T20I batsman, has managed only 244 runs in his last 22 innings, failing to score a fifty since October 2024. Suryakumar, preparing to play his 100th T20 international, reassured fans that he has been striking the ball well in practice. He emphasized that changing his approach is not an option, as he wants to remain true to the style that has brought him success over the past few years. Should his performance not improve, he is willing to reassess and work harder.
Suryakumar leads the Indian team with a formidable T20I strike rate of 163.23, though it is slightly reduced while captaining. He assumed full-time captaincy after Rohit Sharma stepped down following India’s World Cup victory in 2024. Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India has enjoyed a consistent run, securing six consecutive bilateral series wins and clinching the T20 Asia Cup last year.
As the defending champions, India currently tops the ICC rankings and remains unbeaten in T20 series since a narrow loss to the West Indies in August 2023. Suryakumar emphasized the importance of team performance over personal milestones, acknowledging that every player must contribute for the team’s success.
The squad is not without challenges, as key players like Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar are racing against time to recover from injuries before the World Cup. Ishan Kishan makes his return to the team after a long absence, while Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has been unexpectedly left out of the squad.
India’s recent performance against New Zealand saw them suffer their first home ODI series defeat against the Black Caps, which followed an impressive 3-0 clean sweep in a Test series earlier this year. With the World Cup on the horizon, the team is focused on addressing these setbacks and working towards defending their title.