Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting threw his weight behind India’s T20I captaincy Suryakumar Yadavexplains how the star cricketer can return to the fearless style that once made him one of the most devastating batsmen in world cricket. With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 starting on February 7, Ponting believes Suryakumar’s experience and confidence will be crucial to India’s campaign.
A surprising fall for Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is
Suryakumar’s form in the 2025 T20I season has raised eyebrows among the cricketing fraternity. The Indian skipper, known for his innovative strokeplay and ability to dominate the bowlers at all stages of the innings, endured an unusually lean run. In 19 T20I innings in 2025, he scored just 218 runs at an average of 13.62 with a strike rate of 123.16. Interestingly, he failed to register a single half-century, his highest score being 47.
Ponting admitted that these numbers were unexpected for a player of Suryakumar’s calibre. The former Australian highlighted that big consistency has long been one of the biggest strengths of the Indian batsman, making his recent struggles all the more surprising.
“Just looking at his recent form, it’s been a big surprise for me. He’s been such a solid, consistent contributor for India in T20 cricket for a long time and he just hasn’t been able to find it lately. It’s interesting because when you see him at his best, he’s got six, eight or 10 balls to make things go and go.” Ponting told the ICC.
Ponting explains how Suryakumar can regain his form
Ponting emphasized that the key to Suryakumar’s revival is not technique but mindset. According to Ponting, when Suryakumar is at his best, he allows himself a brief settling-in period before unleashing all his shots without fear of being dismissed. He drew parallels with the Tasmanian Head of Travisnoted that both players thrive when they focus on scoring free goals instead of worrying about getting out of play. He advised Suryakumar to think about running, trust his instincts and bring back techniques that have already proven themselves at the highest level.
“He plays all his innings and defends himself and looks a bit like Travis Head where they are almost never afraid to get out. I would tell him too. I would say don’t think about the runs, don’t think about getting out. Trust yourself, back yourself. You have proved that you are as good as anybody in the world in the T20 format and you have proved it again, everybody has proved it,” Ponting added.
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A stark contrast between international and IPL form for Surya
What baffles pundits and fans alike is the stark contrast between Suryakumar’s international struggles and his dominant performances in franchise cricket. during IPL 2025 was in a sensational relationship for the season Mumbai IndiansHe finished as the franchise’s leading run-scorer with 717 runs. He scored an astonishing 65.18 and scored 167.91, regularly dismissing bowling attacks with ease. This discrepancy suggests that the issue is not a decline in skills, but perhaps the added pressure of leadership and expectations at the international level.
As India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar’s form carries added significance. His performances in the upcoming World Cup will be scrutinized not only for their impact on India’s results, but also for what he points to his leadership under pressure.
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