Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I numbers in 2025 don’t make for pleasant reading. Since late 2024, his average has fallen sharply and his strike rate has dipped to levels that feel completely out of character for a batter once seen as the most destructive middle-order player in the world. That alone has sparked the inevitable question: should India move on from him in T20Is?
The short answer is no. But the reasons why matter.
Why Suryakumar Yadav Has Undergone A Dip In Form?
First, context is everything. Suryakumar actually had a very strong IPL 2025, which tells us this isn’t a simple case of form deserting him. That said, Mumbai Indians will have some aggressive options in mind for the top-order at the IPL 2026 auction. But, what has changed is the environment around India’s T20 cricket this year. India have played on difficult batting pitches for most of 2025, and it has not just affected Suryakumar.
Apart from one Wankhede T20I against England, teams have crossed 200 only twice in matches involving India. This year, no batter with a minimum of 100 runs across more than two games has a strike rate above 150 in India games, except Abhishek Sharma, who is operating at a ridiculous 195. Abhishek is clearly riding a peak, but everyone else, including opposition batters, has found scoring hard.
The Technical Issue Behind Suryakumar’s Drop
That said, Suryakumar Yadav and his decline is not only about pitches. There is a genuine technical and tactical issue at play. His game has always been built around wristy shots behind square on the leg side and the flick against pace, along with sweeps against spin.
The ‘V’ down the ground has never been his strongest scoring area. He rarely plays with a straight bat and, when he does, doesn’t generate the same power. The data backs this up, especially in 2025, where his returns against full balls and good-length deliveries from pace have dropped massively.
Bowlers have clearly adjusted. Teams are bowling fuller and slightly wider of off, taking away his wristy access and forcing him into areas he is less comfortable scoring in. His control percentage is down across almost every attacking shot, and his so-called “chaos shots” like the slog sweep and slog shot are no longer producing runs, instead becoming wicket-taking options for bowlers.
So, is Suryakumar Yadav finished? Probably not. But will he hit his absolute peak again? That’s far less certain. What is clear is that India cannot afford to drop him purely on a rough run when conditions have been tough for almost everyone. At the same time, SKY needs to find solutions quickly. India’s T20 World Cup title defence will depend heavily on whether he can adapt, not just whether he can rediscover old magic.
