Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif questioned T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice captain Shubman Gill's form ahead of the T20 World Cup, which will take place next year in India and Sri Lanka. India's number one T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav is currently going through a lean patch of his career since getting appointed as Rohit Sharma's sucessor to lead India in the shortest format of the game.
Shubman Gill's lean patch in T20I
Gill, who made his T20I comeback before the Asia Cup 2025 as vice-captain, also failed to fire runs with the bat. Gill, who replaced Sanju Samson as T20I opener, scored a 263-run haul after 14 outings (23.9 average, 142.93 strike rate).
Suryakumar Yadav's lean patch in T20I
On the other hand, since November 2024, Suryakumar Yadav has scored only 227 runs in 20 innings at an average of 13.35 and a strike rate of 120.10 in T20Is. He hasn't scored a fifty, and only two of his innings have lasted beyond 20 balls in this period. Kaif, who was part of India's 2002 Asia Cup-winning team, reckons that Suryakumar's lean patch is a bigger concern than Gill's because he can be replaced, but the captain is irreplaceable.
"With T20 World Cup round the corner, Surya's form is a bigger concern for India's than Gill's. India has many opening options but a designated captain can't be replaced" Kaif wrote on X
Suryakumar Yadav and Gill's upcoming outing
Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill will now be seen featuring in the third T20I against South Africa. After South Africa's 51-run win in the second clash, the series is levelled 1-1. The third T20I will take place on December 14 at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
India's T20 World Cup 2026 Group Stage schedule
Defending champions India will start their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the USA on February 7, and the high-voltage clash against Pakistan will take place on February 15 in Colombo. Here's India's Group stage schedule.
| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Match | February 7 | United States | Mumbai |
| Second Match | February 12 | Namibia | Delhi |
| Third Match | February 15 | Pakistan | Colombo |
| Fourth Match | February 18 | Netherlands | Ahmedabad |