Suryakumar Yadav in action. (FILE photo)
Suryakumar Yadav’s India is yet to lose a T20I bilateral series under his captaincy. The side also won the Asia Cup 2025 in September last year. Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan lauded Surya for his captaincy performance, but also said it will be interesting to see how the Indian skipper will react when ace-pacer Jasprit Bumrah has a bad game in the crucial World Cup game.
“When you play at home, there is a lot of outside noise, that pressure to perform comes with it. Surya’s demeanor is quite relaxed, and the way he manages the side and talks to his players, it is clear that he is a good captain. We don’t appreciate his record enough as a captain. If your win percentage is 80-85 percent, no one else has it, and if you win the World Cup on top of that, then everyone has to talk about him as a captain,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
“Suppose if Bumrah has a bad day, concedes over 50 runs in an important match in the World Cup, how Suryakumar Yadav pulls things back from there, I want to see that. Also, if the other bowlers struggle, what Plan B will Suryakumar Yadav bring on the field, I want to see that as well,” he added.
Although the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and a few other youngsters have redefined aggression in T20I cricket, Pathan reminded Surya’s importance in the side. “Now you have all these ultra-aggressive players, but before that, it was Surya who was the No.1 ranked batter. He used to play at a strike rate of 160 with a brilliant average. He disappeared in 2025, but now he is back,” Irfan Pathan said.
“My batting style is completely different, I can’t be that aggressive on the field as a leader. At the same time, you have to understand what is happening in their (players) minds. You also need to make sure that they are comfortable. Everyone has a different skill set. They also want to express themselves that freedom is very important when they get onto the field. I try and listen to what is going on in their mind,” said Surya on his captaincy style early into his tenure.
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