Leg and Off: Is Suryakumar Yadav's poor run in T20Is a cause for concern?

Team India continued their incredible run in T20Is with an impressive seven-wicket win over England in the series opener in Kolkata. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav ticked all the boxes in terms of rotating his bowlers and having the perfect fields after winning the toss and fielding first.

His precision in every move meant the visitors were shot out for a paltry 132 in 20 overs. The win took Surya's T20I captaincy record to 14 wins in 18 outings with only three losses.

Yet, amidst all the greatness, fans have started asking uncomfortable questions about Surya's T20I batting form. The skipper was dismissed for a three-ball duck in India's dominant run chase.

After being ranked World No.1 for so long in the format, the swashbuckling batter has slipped to fourth in the latest ICC rankings. Surya's overall T20I numbers are still stellar with an average of over 40 and a strike rate of 167.53 in 79 outings.

Whether his latest struggles are a cause of concern is a topic worth addressing and we attempt to do just that in the below sections.

How long has Suryakumar Yadav's barren T20I run been?

Surya's numbers have taken a dip over the past few months [Credit: Getty]

Suryakumar Yadav scored a 35-ball 75 against Bangladesh just five T20I innings back, leading to a question of how long his poor run of form extends to. Over his last four innings, Surya has scored only 26 runs at an average of 6.50.

Yet, given the volatility and the high-risk nature of the T20I format, four innings is way too small a sample size to pass judgment on. If we extend this to his last nine T20I innings, where Surya has notched up only one half-century, the average is an underwhelming 19.11. The ace batter scored 40+ in four out of seven T20I innings before this stretch.

Hence, for the sake of further analysis, it is safe to say Surya's poor form in T20Is has been a matter of nine innings.

Suryakumar Yadav's case - Poor form or prisoner of his own standards?

Surya has smashed T20I centuries for fun throughout his career [Credit: Getty]

For a non-opener in the T20 format, a sub-par stretch of only nine innings shouldn't normally be anything alarming. Surya has also batted below his usual No. 3 position in two of those nine innings, reducing his chances of a big score.

Also present in this nine-game stretch is a 12-ball 26 in an eight-over run-chase, and a counter-attacking 14-ball 29, apart from the 35-ball 75. Surya's strike rate during this perceived dry run has been an incredible 152.20, evidence that his ball-striking ability remains as good as ever.

Hence, the question may not be whether Surya is enduring poor form, but whether his remarkable run until these last nine innings has forced everyone to measure him by his own standards rather than the ones normally used.

The 34-year-old averaged over 47 in 49 T20Is in 2022 and 2023 at a strike rate of 175. These are near-impossible numbers to sustain in the T20 format and hence his 25.23 average since the start of 2024 looks more underwhelming than it actually is.

Thus, while there is no denying that Surya has endured a drop-off over the past year in T20Is, his numbers are made to look worse, thanks to the standards he set over the two years prior.

Suryakumar Yadav's style of play makes a lean run par for the course

Surya is renowned for his adventurous strokeplay [Credit: Getty]

It is common knowledge that Suryakumar Yadav is India's premier match-winner in T20Is and is more an enforcer than an anchor. His high-risk-high-reward style of play is fraught with danger, making him susceptible to an occasional string of low scores.

Let us cast our mind to the IPL when the champion batter struggled in 2021 out of nowhere, with an average of 22.64 in 14 matches. How did he respond? With seasons averaging over 40 and a combined strike rate of 170 in 2022 and 2023.

It is also worth remembering that India's new T20 batting style has been built on an all-out attack mantra from top to bottom. This puts the volume of runs on low priority, with the focus being on strike rate and impactful cameos.

Surya has certainly shown glimpses of both, even through this dry spell, making his lower consistency not much of a worry.

The captaincy effect and impact on the team

Surya has led India admirably since taking over as T20I captain [Credit: Getty]

Captaincy is a tricky thing in cricket, especially among batters, as it can help an individual flourish individually or have a negative impact due to the heavy workload. Surya's numbers as India's T20I captain and non-captain make for interesting reading.

The right-hander averages only 31.17 in the 18 T20Is he has led the side, while the average shoots up to 43.40 in the 61 T20Is he has not captained India. Yet, in the nine-innings stretch mentioned above (10 matches), India have won all but one outing.

Since Surya took over as India's permanent T20I skipper, the Men in Blue have won all three series and hold a 1-0 lead in the ongoing England affair. Hence, his relatively poor run has had no damaging effect on the team's fortunes.

Yet, it is worth keeping an eye on Surya's batting numbers during his captaincy stint to see if the drop continues to be drastic. If anything, that maybe the only cause of concern for Surya the batter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Suryakumar Yadav's drop-off in overall numbers since 2024, especially over the last nine innings, is undeniable. Yet, a closer look at the circumstances, considering the nature of the T20 format and India's aggressive batting game plan, greatly reduces any major concern.

Also, India's dominant run in terms of team results and Surya's strike rate being as impressive as ever, means the skipper's batting form is nothing to fret about. Surya bounced back from a poor IPL 2021 with breathtaking campaigns in the following two years, which augurs well for Indian fans as a series of match-winning knocks may be on the way.