Suryakumar Yadav’s future as an Indian T20I captain is uncertain due to his dismal form in recent series. Suryakumar failed to arrest his slide in the recent T20I series against South Africa, resulting in him being slammed ahead of the New Zealand series and the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy record in T20 is terrific, with 30 wins in 38 games. Heading into the T20 World Cup in February, the Indian team has been in sublime touch. However, Surya’s batting form has worsened, which puts the 35-year-old under pressure. Let’s take a detailed look at the form of the India T20 captain in recent months and how it impacts the team.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Form Remains a Key Concern for India

Suryakumar Yadav made his T20I debut in 2021. In that year, he held an average of around 35, while scoring three fifties. 2022 was the finest year for the current India T20 captain, where he smashed 1,164 runs at an average of 46.56 and a strike rate of 187.44, with nine fifties and two hundreds. He garnered 239 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 189.65 at the T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav’s T20i downfall needs to be studied. pic.twitter.com/7U7BfOXNsD

— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) December 12, 2025

Suryakumar Yadav’s future in the T20I XI was sealed due to his consistency, which he depicted in the next year as well. He scored 733 runs at an average of 48.87 and a strike rate of 155.96, with two centuries and four half-centuries. The first half of 2024 witnessed Suryakumar contributing 199 runs in eight innings at the T20 World Cup to finish as the second-highest scorer for the Indian team, as they lifted the title. After the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav was announced as the India T20 captain. The responsibility resulted in him finishing the year with 429 runs at an average of 26.81.

2025 brought a bad omen to Suryakumar, as he struggled to score even a single fifty. In 21 games, he scored only 213 runs at a disappointing average of 13.63, with a top knock of 47*. Despite quick starts by the opening pair, Suryakumar Yadav has failed to continue the team’s momentum. The bowlers have induced false shots off him and cut short his innings early. Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy record in T20 is praiseworthy, as he holds a 73.68% win ratio. However, the burden of leadership has certainly taken a toll on his performance. Known to read the pitch and match situation perfectly, the 35-year-old has misfired badly with his calculations and impact. Suryakumar’s form can play a major role if the side needs to have a deeper run in the T20 World Cup due to his equally good ability to score runs against spinners as well as pacers.

India’s Vice-Captaincy Pattern Paints a Confusing Picture

The Indian selectors have often chosen particular players for the vice-captain role, whom they want to groom as future leaders. For example, Virat Kohli was the deputy to MS Dhoni across all three formats due to his charismatic abilities as a batter and leadership qualities. Kohli took over as the captain in all three formats, signaling a gradual change. The team combinations and the mindset weren’t much affected, which allowed the players to prosper and play their natural game.

Suryakumar Yadav will become the fourth Indian men’s captain to lead the country in the T20 World Cup. 🏆🇮🇳#Cricket #SKY #India pic.twitter.com/c8rdRfZw8t

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) December 20, 2025

However, the decisions have been dynamic by the current selectors, where they have selected captains/vice-captains on the basis of form, fitness, and team requirements. Clearly, they don’t have any long-term plan for leadership development, and the constant reshuffling might have a negative impact on the team. Shubman Gill was announced as the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team in August 2025. He held the role in India’s title win in the Asia Cup and the recently completed T20I series against South Africa. After scoring only 32 runs in three innings against South Africa, Gill was dropped from the T20I squad. As a result, Axar Patel was reinstated as the vice-captain of the side for the New Zealand series and the T20 World Cup. Interestingly, the all-rounder served as the deputy to Suryakumar during the England series in January 2025 as well.

It’s been a while since Suryakumar Yadav went past fifty in T20Is 👀 pic.twitter.com/04EBPn79rQ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 6, 2025

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy record in T20 speaks volumes about his impressive bowling changes or his choices for a perfect XI. The title victory in the Asia Cup and the successful series against South Africa exude confidence for the Men in Blue ahead of the T20 World Cup. Along with results in India’s favor, Suryakumar Yadav’s future also depends on his performance in the T20 World Cup. It will be interesting to see if Mr. 360 can find some motivation and hunger to succeed in the coming games.