When Suryakumar Yadav walked in to bat at No. 4 during the Raipur T20I, things weren’t looking good for India. They were eight for two at the end of two overs, chasing a target of 209 on a surface where stroke-making was encouraged. Yet, for the Indian captain, this was exactly what he had been missing for close to 468 days.
There were signs of a return to form in the first match, where he scored 32 off 22 balls, but the SKY of old was still missing. That changed dramatically in Raipur. Suryakumar began cautiously, allowing Ishan Kishan to express himself before taking charge. He smashed 41 runs off just 12 balls from a helpless Zak Foulkes to find his rhythm, and once he did, there was no stopping the Indian skipper.
He had always maintained that it was just a matter of one knock, and it finally arrived, ending a 23-innings wait for a fifty. More importantly, his return to form has come at the perfect time, with a title defence just around the corner.
But this 82 off 37 balls carries a deeper significance. Beyond the numbers, it solves several tactical issues for India and adds an extra dimension to the side. So what changed for Suryakumar, and how does it improve India’s chances of retaining their title?
Master of his own luck
One of the most striking features of Suryakumar’s knocks against New Zealand has been his composure. He no longer appeared in a rush to stay ahead of the run chase, fully aware of his ability to change its course at any moment. During his lean patch in 2025—the toughest of his career—there was a tendency to counter-attack early to match the tempo set by Abhishek Sharma and the rest of the lineup.
In the first two T20Is, however, Suryakumar showed greater patience and took his time at the crease. With Abhishek in the first match and Kishan in the second taking the attack to the bowlers, the Indian captain was afforded the luxury of settling in. He even credited his wife for playing a key role in this shift.
“There’s a coach sitting at home as well, to whom I am married. She keeps telling me, ‘I think you should take some time (in the middle)’,” said Suryakumar.
Beyond that, Suryakumar created his own luck, as Aakash Chopra pointed out.
“That is where you have to realise that you have to spend time. You have to accept that I need runs, for a lot of strokes along the ground. If you spend enough time, because he was 10 off 10 in the early part of his innings, and then he got Zak Foulkes. Sometimes you need that bit of luck, but sometimes you have to make that luck and being there for long enough, he did that in the end,” said Chopra.
This adjustment may be a key modification in his approach, but there was another equally important change.
Mr. 360 is back
A glance at Suryakumar Yadav’s wagon wheel from the Raipur innings tells its own story. He scored 40 runs on the off side and 42 on the leg side, a balance that earned him the moniker Mr. 360. This was also a hallmark of his golden run in 2022, when he amassed 1,164 runs, including two hundreds and nine fifties.
Over the past year, however, his game had become increasingly leg-side dominant, making him more one-dimensional. While his pick-up shots remained effective, the absence of consistent off-side play limited his scoring options. In Raipur, that balance returned.
“Once Ishan Kishan got out, he was the one who took the initiative and started punching the ball, and besides everything else, the driving through the off side was the big plus because that means that he’s looking to play straight as much as possible. Then once you’ve got that, this shot can come into play. That was a fabulous innings and a big boost for the Indian team on the eve of the World Cup,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports.
This subtle shift in approach could prove vital for Suryakumar, especially with the World Cup looming.
What does it mean for India?
So, what does Suryakumar’s return to form mean for India? To begin with, one of the most prolific batters in T20 World Cup history has rediscovered his touch at exactly the right time. Across 18 matches, he has scored 480 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 158.94.
Secondly, his resurgence strengthens India’s middle order significantly. Over the past year, players like Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya were often required to rescue the innings. With Suryakumar back among the runs, that responsibility can now be shared more evenly.
Additionally, it offers flexibility in the batting order. Suryakumar has never shied away from adjusting his position—even dropping himself as low as No. 11 if the situation demands—allowing others to exploit favourable match-ups. This preserves the fluid batting order that the team management values so highly.
“I was, anyway telling everyone that I was batting well. I was trying in the nets. But no matter how much you do in the nets, until you score runs in the match, you don’t get confidence,” said Suryakumar after the win.
That confidence is now back—not just for the captain, but for Indian supporters as well—as the team gathers momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
– Ends
