In the high-stakes arena of T20 cricket, where fortunes can flip in a single over, consistency and impact are necessities. Yet, for India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill, it’s been an area which is yet to come to fruition.
Their latest outing in Cuttack against South Africa, a match India won by a whopping 101 runs, served as a stark reminder of this nagging issue. Gill departed after facing just two balls for four runs, while Suryakumar scratched around for 12 off 11 deliveries. Hardik Pandya’s blistering knock and a ruthless bowling display salvaged the day, but as the T20 World Cup looms with only nine matches remaining, the Men in Blue can’t afford to rely on middle-order miracles forever.
The duo’s struggles aren’t isolated blips. This is a part of a troubling pattern. Since his reinstatement in the T20I squad from the 2025 Asia Cup, Gill has failed to cross the 50-run mark. His closest brushes with form came against Pakistan in Dubai — 47 off 28 — and a gritty 46 off 39 on a challenging Gold Coast pitch.
Suryakumar, elevated to leadership in 2024, has fared little better. While his captaincy record is staggering in the format, his two half-centuries as skipper, 58 off 26 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele and 75 off 35 versus Bangladesh in Hyderabad, both came last year. In 2025, his numbers paint a grim picture — an average of 15.3 and a strike rate of 127, the lowest among India’s T20I batters, behind Sanju Samson (18.50) and Axar Patel (19.85).
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Suryakumar, ever the optimist, addressed the elephant in the room during the post-match presentation, emphasising India’s philosophy of fearless cricket and deep batting resources. “With 7-8 batters, there will be days when 2-3 won’t have their day, but then the other four will cover up and they did cover it up today,” he told the broadcasters.
“Maybe in the next game, you’ll see someone else covering it up. That’s how T20 cricket goes, and that’s how we want everyone to play. We want everyone to be fearless and enjoy their batting.”
It’s a bold mantra, one that has propelled India through turbulent phases in the past. But in the pressure cooker of international cricket, not every match will see the lower middle-order rising to rescue. If the top-order continues to falter, the burden shifts downward, inviting chaos in a format that punishes hesitation.
With four more T20Is against South Africa on the horizon, followed by a crucial five-match series against New Zealand in January — the final dress rehearsal before February’s T20 World Cup — the clock is ticking.
Suryakumar and Gill aren’t mere players, they’re the brains of the operation, integral to the team’s strategic think tank. If their bats remain silent through January, will the selectors summon the courage for tough decisions? Dropping a captain and vice-captain mid-preparation would be seismic, but ignoring form could prove catastrophic.
Compounding the dilemma is the talent simmering on the sidelines. Sanju Samson, a dynamic keeper-batter, has been relegated to bench duty. Yashasvi Jaiswal, absent from the current squad, offers another left-handed option with proven flair. For Gill, the irony is particularly sharp. In the IPL, he’s been a run-machine for Gujarat Titans, amassing a tally of 1,966 over the last three seasons with strike-rates soaring above 155 in 2023 and 2025. Yet, reproducing that dominance in the international stage has remained elusive.
Neither player appears rusty. Suryakumar’s inventive stroke-play and Gill’s silken timing still glimmer through the gloom. But glimpses won’t suffice. India need sizeable contributions from their top three to distribute the load evenly. Senior voices in the dressing room insist individual milestones mean little, but when the top-order shirks its share, the middle and lower ranks bear an unsustainable weight. The pressure builds, it affects form, and in T20 cricket, that’s often the prelude to something unwanted.
As India navigate these final nine encounters, the hope is for a resurgence that propels the team into top gear. Suryakumar and Gill hold the keys to unlock that potential. If they rediscover rhythm, India could enter the World Cup as unstoppable favourites. But if the drought persists, the selectors’ headaches might snowball into a full-blown crisis.
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