While the Indian T20I team under Suryakumar Yadav has looked extremely destructive and are currently unbeaten in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, it is the skipper’s decline with the bat that has been a growing concern.
Two-time back-to-back T20I cricketer of the year (2022 and 2023), Suryakumar has looked like a pale shadow of his former self in 2025. In the four innings so far in the continental tournament, the dynamic right-hander has managed scores of 7*, 47, 0 and 5.
Not only in Asia Cup, he struggled during the five-match England T20I series earlier this year. SKY managed just 28 runs, including two ducks, at a disappointing average of 5.60.
Once hailed as a batting lynchpin in the format, his downfall raises serious doubts going ahead. Let’s analyse a few statistics and factors to understand the reason better.
| Year | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | Avg | SR | HS | 50 | 100 | 4s | 6s | Dot % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 31 | 1,164 | 621 | 25 | 46.6 | 187.4 | 117 | 9 | 2 | 106 | 68 | 27.2 |
| 2023 | 17 | 733 | 470 | 15 | 48.9 | 156.0 | 112 | 5 | 2 | 61 | 43 | 33.8 |
| 2024 | 17 | 429 | 283 | 16 | 26.8 | 151.6 | 75 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 22 | 35.7 |
| 2025 | 9 | 87 | 77 | 7 | 12.4 | 113.0 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 49.4 |
| Total | 74 | 2,413 | 1,451 | 63 | 38.3 | 166.3 | 117 | 18 | 4 | 217 | 136 | 32.2 |
If we take a look at the above table, it is clearly evident that his stats have seen a sharp decline in 2025. He was at the top of the world in 2022, 2023 but this is the first time his strike rate has dipped below 150s. Subsequently, his six-hitting prowess has also taken a backseat. Furthermore, SKY is yet to hit a fifty or a hundred this year yet.
Suryakumar’s average has also gone below 20, while his dot ball % has gone up massively to 49.4 as compared to 27.2 in 2022.
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As captain, SKY has played 27 matches, scoring 617 runs at an average of 26.82 with one century and four fifties. This is in stark contrast to his numbers where he is not leading, with 2040 runs at an average of 43.40, including 3 centuries and 17 half-centuries.
Add to that, his inconsistent batting position has also played a factor. Prior to and even after his appointment as captain, Suryakumar Yadav had a fixed batting position at number 4 which has not been the case this season. He has moved between numbers 3, 4, and 5 and a lack of a fixed spot appears to have disrupted his batting rhythm, contributing to his current lean patch.
Heralded for being a 360 player, Suryakumar seemed to be struggling with his own strengths. The kind of deliveries that the 35-year-old would have whacked into the stands in his prime, he seems to be falling prey playing his dominant shots as has been evident from his past few dismissals.
Against Bangladesh today, SKY tried to flick a shortish delivery down the leg side but couldn’t time it as it brushed against his bat and wicketkeeper Jaker Ali took a good diving catch to his left. In the previous Super Four game against Pakistan as well, he had a leading edge in a bid to shuffle across to play his favourite leg-side flick.
During the fourth England T20I earlier in January, SKY departed trying to shuffle across and whip a delivery from Saqib Mahmood but ended up offering a straightforward catch to Brydon Carse at short mid-on. In the very next game, he followed suit, attempting to flick a pitched-up delivery from Carse, only to get a leading edge.
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