Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on Suryakumar Yadav for regaining his form ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. His batting woes in the format were a major concern for India heading into the tournament, but he has put them to rest with his performance in the ongoing series against New Zealand. The 35-year-old scored back-to-back half-centuries in the second and third T20I of the series, leading India to victory in both the games.
Gavaskar believes that Suryakumar's unbeaten knock of 82 in the second T20I gave him much-needed confidence. He also pointed out that the India skipper has been batting very well in the nets and just needed a little bit of luck on his side to get back in form.
“His knock the other day in Raipur gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He hasn’t been short of form; he’s been short of runs,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“He has been batting very well in the nets. He’s not struggling there, he’s hitting the ball cleanly and all around the ground. It just wasn’t working for him in matches. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of luck to get going. This time, he didn’t even need luck. That innings was exactly what he needed,” he added.
Much-needed knocks for Suryakumar
Suryakumar had come into the New Zealand series having not registered a 50+ score in the format since October, 2024. He had been going through a rough patch and had failed to play a single big knock in the 21 T20Is that India competed in during 2025. After going through a forgettable year, Suryakumar has began 2026 with a bang and has been one of the Men in Blue's top performers so far in the ongoing assignment. He will be looking to deliver with the bat in the remaining two matches as well.
India's dominance over New Zealand
Meanwhile, India have already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand. These are exactly the kind of performances that they will be aiming to give in the T20 World Cup that begins from February 7. The hosts will be looking to maintain their red-hot form in the fourth T20I that will be held on January 28 at the ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Viskhapatnam.