Former Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif has given the right opinion on the poor form of Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, as he mentioned a bitter truth that the team can get a new opener in place of Shubman Gill, but the same will not happen for Suryakumar Yadav, because a captain cannot be changed.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav is being criticized for his poor form after India’s 51-run defeat to South Africa in the second match in New Chandigarh. His form has been a major concern in recent times, as he has scored an average of 14.25 and 201 runs in 17 matches in the calendar year.
Along with the captain, vice-captain Shubman Gill, who has returned to the team, is also largely out of form. He has failed to capitalize on this opportunity and has been as disappointing as his captain.
Mohammad Kaif said, “The biggest worry between Gill and Surya is Surya.”
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, while speaking on his YouTube channel, said that from India’s perspective, Suryakumar Yadav’s return to form is more important than that of Shubman Gill, as the team cannot move on from him.
He mentioned that if Shubman Gill’s form does not recover, he could be replaced at the top by players like Sanju Samson or Yashasvi Jaiswal, but the captain is irreplaceable; He will continue to play despite his poor form and will be a burden on the team.
“The biggest concern between Gill and Surya is Surya. You can find a replacement for Gill; if Gill is out, you can bring in Sanju or call Jaiswal later. But Surya will play, no matter what.”
“Even if he performs poorly, you will not remove Surya and bring in another captain. This issue does not exist with Gill; if you remove Gill, you can replace him with another player. But Surya will remain. He is the one who will lead you in the World Cup,” Kaif said in his YouTube live session.
“His form is important to win the World Cup,” says Kaif.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav becomes a major concern as his form matters for India’s T20 World Cup plans, which is now not more than 8 games away. He recognized that Suryakumar is the captain and if the captain scores runs then his mind works better.
“That’s why Surya has become a big concern. His form matters because you have to play the World Cup in one and a half months and Surya is a big-match T20 player. He is also the captain. His form is important to win the World Cup.”
He also claimed that good form brings good captaincy, suggesting that despite his unbeaten performance in terms of series wins as India captain, he should revive his form to defend the World Cup title for India.
He said, “When a captain is scoring runs, his mind also works better. Remember, with good form you also become a better captain. It is a correlation with form. So I think it is very important for Surya to get back into form.”
Mohammad Kaif helped Suryakumar Yadav identify shortcomings in his batting.
Later during the same discussion, Kaif pointed out that considering Suryakumar’s last two T20 innings, he has been tending to hit wider balls outside the off-stump.
He told that Suryakumar Yadav is falling into the trap of bowlers without thinking. Surya, who is always praised for his flick shot, which he plays impeccably, was caught attempting to flick the ball that swung from outside the off stump, and he lofted it in an attempt to play it down the leg side.
Kaif continued and pointed to a similar pattern of dismissals in the second game, as he was poked at a ball bowled outside the off stump. He also warned that it was similar to Virat Kohli’s dismissal in Test cricket.
Kaif revealed Suryakumar Yadav’s biggest weakness, saying, “He also has a bottom-hand dominant technique; he mostly plays to one side. Bowling outside, he chases it.”
“Sometimes, when you get a break, you have to use that time to work on technique. We have seen many times in the IPL that there is no better leg-side player than him. So now he has to work on it,” the Indian batsman said.
Also read: Big shock to Sydney Sixers before BBL 2025-26! Shaun Abbott was thrown out…
