Suryakumar Yadav’s short but confident innings in the opening match of the ongoing five-match T20 series against New Zealand has finally eased the pressure on the Indian skipper and Ravichandran Ashwin believes it has come at the right time.
In the first T20I against the Black Caps, Suryakumar scored 32 runs off just 22 balls and more importantly, he looked comfortable at the crease. Ashwin feels that this innings helped Suryakumar Yadav snap out of a long spell of poor form, which had brought him under serious scrutiny.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Nagpur innings eases pressure ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026
Ahead of the Nagpur tour, the Indian skipper was struggling badly, averaging just over 13 in his last 21 T20I innings, raising questions about his confidence and rhythm, especially with the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 looming.
Also read: Suryakumar Yadav’s successor named as India’s T20I captain ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
However, the stylish right-handed batsman looked comfortable and in control as he hit four fours and a six while playing his trademark shots against New Zealand in Nagpur.
It’s a monkey from behind: Ashwin breaks a lean patch on Suryakumar Yadav
Even though it was not a big score, it was important and showed positive intent, as it was only the third time he managed to cross the 30-run mark in his last 20 T20I matches. And the former Indian off-spinner said that Suryakumar Yadav could have easily slowed down and achieved an individual milestone, but he remained true to the team’s aggressive approach.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “It’s a monkey from behind. A lot of people were talking about Suryakumar Yadav’s batting and his form and all that. In all honesty, in T20 cricket, you don’t have to aim for consistency. What I liked was that he scored so many runs; he looked in good touch today.
If a batsman wants to think about scoring runs, he should think about scoring half-centuries. But Surya did not do this. This team has a theme; They will look to continue scoring and hitting. He looked in his element. He looked good and that’s a big positive for him.”
Kuldeep Yadav’s break can help India in the long run: Ashwin
Meanwhile, the former Indian all-rounder also talked about Kuldeep Yadav not playing in the first T20 match after a tough ODI series against the Black Caps. He felt that the break could help the Chinaman bowler to reset mentally. Also, Ashwin highlighted the importance of balancing bowling strength with batting depth in T20 cricket.
Also read: “He doesn’t want to bat against…”: Arshdeep Singh exposes Abhishek Sharma
Ashwin further explained, “But I am a big fan (of Kuldeep). You have to be strong as a pack in T20 cricket and address the strengths elsewhere. If you don’t have Jasprit Bumrah or anyone else, you have to address it with a bit of batting depth.
But in this team, you are scoring runs in the powerplay, Hardik (Pandya) is scoring, and you have seven bowling options. I would like to play Bumrah, Arshdeep (Singh), Varun (Chakravarthy) and Kuldeep. But if it is like today then it is absolutely fine.”
Ashwin hints at India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 blueprint
Looking ahead, the former Indian off-spinner also hinted that the current team combination could become India’s blueprint for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He stressed that Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dubey should be regulars in India’s XI with only four games left before the mega event.
