Ind vs Aus T20Is: Gautam Gambhir breaks silence on Suryakumar Yadav's poor form

Team India won the Asia Cup 2025 title with ease, but questions remain over captain Suryakumar Yadav’s recent form. The right-hander has struggled in T20Is this year, managing only 100 runs across 12 matches. During the eight-team tournament, the 35-year-old batter could muster just 72 runs in six games, with his best effort being an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in the group stage in Dubai.

Naturally, concerns have emerged over his performance, but head coach Gautam Gambhir has downplayed the issue. He emphasized that occasional failures are part of the game, especially when a player prioritizes the team’s objectives and follows a high-risk, attacking approach.

Despite his international struggles, Suryakumar enjoyed a strong IPL 2025 campaign, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer. However, his inability to replicate that form for India remains a talking point ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, starting Wednesday, October 29.

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“Honestly, Surya’s form doesn’t worry me,” Gambhir said. “We’ve committed ourselves to playing an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket, and when you do that, failures are bound to happen. It would be safer for him to score 40 off 30 balls and avoid criticism, but as a team, we’ve agreed that failing while sticking to this philosophy is acceptable.”

“Right now, Abhishek Sharma is in terrific touch and continued that form through the Asia Cup. Once Surya finds his rhythm, he’ll take on the leadership role with the bat again. In T20 cricket, we don’t measure success purely by runs — it’s about the intent and impact. Our aggressive style may lead to more failures, but what matters most is the influence a player has on the game,” he added.

Gambhir also praised Suryakumar’s personality, calling him a “wonderful human being,” and credited his character and mindset for his success as a leader in the shortest format.