3 min readJun 6, 2026 10:48 AM IST
First published on: Jun 6, 2026 at 10:48 AM IST
Suryakumar Yadav’s form has dipped in T20Is. As noted in a previous publication, the Indian management has decided to move on from the batter. However, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif supported Surya and has compared him to Virat Kohli.
“Suryakumar Yadav is not a new batter. He is a proven player. Just in the last IPL, he scored 700 runs. Not being in form is one thing. Even Kohli was out of form for two years, but the belief was there that once he got the touch, he would score again. Suryakumar is on par with Kohli in T20S, he is not less,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“Don’t compare in World Cups. I agree he has not scored in World Cups, but he is not a light player. Even a player like Kohli had a bad patch, but he got the backing. Every player has a bad time. You could drop him after a series or two, then I would not have had a problem. At least give the winning captain some respect,” he added.
Kaif urged Surya to get one more series. “I feel the timing is wrong. You can remove Surya, but you should have given him at least one more series. If he did not score there, then you could say now we are moving on. We gave you a chance, but you are not able to get back to form, and now we are looking towards other players. But the one who becomes captain now will have different pressure that if this has happened to Surya after winning as well, what can happen to me? He should have gotten a few more chances, and then you could remove him,” he said.
Speaking of Shreyas Iyer captain Kaif said: “Gautam has worked before with Shreyas and won the trophy for KKR. Shreyas got Delhi and Punjab to the final. In terms of experience, Shreyas has led in the IPL, won the trophy and understands Gautam’s pattern. In terms of that mutual understanding, Shreyas seems to be the frontrunner. He is miles ahead of the other contenders. He has even scored runs while being captain. You will find very few players who are captains and also score. There is no choice better than him,” he said
India's captain Suryakumar Yadav poses with the trophy after India won the T20 World Cup final match against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo) 
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