[WATCH] 'Didn't have a good series against England' - Former Team India batter’s bold remark on Suryakumar Yadav ahead of 2025 Asia Cup

Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has shared his thoughts on Team India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s form ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup. He reflected on Suryakumar’s struggles during the home series against England earlier this year, where the skipper endured a poor run with the bat despite India clinching the series 4-1. Suryakumar made just 28 off of the five innings at a strike rate of 116.66, which raised alarm bells.

Rahane, on the other hand, pointed to Suryakumar’s incredible turnaround in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Mumbai Indians star scored 717 runs in 16 innings, the most runs ever scored in a single IPL season by a non-opener. The Mumbai Indians player made 717 runs in 16 innings, the most by a non-opener in a single IPL season. His consistency was notable, crossing 25 runs in every outing, and he struck at an impressive 167.91 with five half-centuries to his name.

The former India Test skipper also pointed out that Suryakumar will be heading into the Asia Cup after recovering from a sports hernia surgery. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rahane remarked, "Didn't have a good series against England, but came back to form in IPL with five fifties and finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a healthy strike rate. We all know Surya is a dangerous batter. In this format, he has done really well. But it will be interesting to see how he goes about his batting, especially after the surgery.”

Rahane on Surya’s role in Asia Cup

Rahane also praised Suryakumar’s leadership qualities, describing him as a proactive and successful captain. At the same time, he stressed that India’s success in the Asia Cup would heavily depend on the star batter’s runs. He said, “As a captain, he has been fantastic. He is a proactive captain and led the team really well in the past, but I feel, in this Asia Cup, his batting will be really important.”

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So far, Suryakumar has captained India in 22 T20Is, registering 17 wins with a remarkable win percentage of 77.27. He has yet to lose a bilateral T20I series as skipper and will look to continue that streak when India begins their Asia Cup campaign against the United Arab Emirates on September 10 in Dubai.