The spotlight will be back on captain Suryakumar Yadav when India take on New Zealand in the T20I of the five-match series on Wednesday in Nagpur. Widely regarded as one of the greatest T20I batters to have ever come out of India, Suryakumar has never quite been able to consistently work his magic since the time that he became captain of the team really after their succesfull 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. Former India Test captain and SKY’s longtime domestic teammate Ajinkya Rahane feels that the 35-year-0ld has been trying to “do too many things” off late and should just keep things simple in order to rediscover his destructive form in what will be the last series for India before they host the 2026 T20 WOrld Cup. “He has been out of form recently but I am really looking forward to seeing Surya coming back to form just before the World Cup,” said Rahane on Cricbuzz. While his initial downturn in late 2024 was followed by some incredible success in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), SKY’s international form continued sagging in the series that he played after that. In 2025, Suryakumar scored just 218 runs 19 T20I innings at a strike rate of 123.16 and average of just 13.62. It was the first time in his career that he struck at less than 150 in a calendar year. “For (s0meone of) Surya’s ability, those numbers are pretty low,” said Rahane. “I feel he is putting too much pressure on himself as a batter, trying to do too many things. If he can just keep it simple and just try and back his game. Preparation wise, he has been fantastic. His attitude and intensity on the field as been fantastic. I just want him to keep things simple as a batter. If he bats for long period of time, if Surya does well, India will do well.” Suryakumar has himself admitted that the runs aren’t quite coming the way they should for him. “I am sure everyone has seen this in their respective careers,” Suryakumar told reporters in a press conference in which India revealed their squad for the T20 World Cup last month. “I know what to do. I know where things are going wrong. I have got some time to work on it. We have the New Zealand series coming up and then the important T20 World Cup. You will definitely see Surya the batter,” he said.
Ajinkya Rahane decodes what Suryakumar Yadav has to do to rediscover form: ‘If Surya does well, India will do well’
