'Your Primary Role Is to Score...' – Former Indian cricketer slams Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has openly criticized Suryakumar Yadav’s poor batting form over the past few months. The Indian captain has managed only 119 runs in his last 10 T20I innings, with an average of 13.22, a phase that Chopra believes Suryakumar must overcome given his importance to the team.

Chopra said skippers do not reduce their consciousness to make runs, especially as a top-order batsman. He also explained that it is not only about managing tactics and leading your team on the field but a whole lot more; additionally, consistent run scoring should be expected from anyone batting within the top four batting order.

The former India opener also raised concerns about Suryakumar’s lack of big scores in recent times. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 set to begin on February 7, Chopra feels that the Indian captain’s form in the shortest format is becoming a serious concern.

Chopra Calls for Runs From India’s Top Order

“You are the team's captain, but a captain's job is not just to do the toss and manage the bowlers. It's not just about making the strategy. If you bat in the top four, your primary role is to score runs. It's been many matches. If you have an average of 14 in 17 innings and the strike rate is also not very good, you don't have a single fifty and have crossed 25 just twice, it's been a problem on either side of the IPL,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

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Chopra also spoke about the struggles of vice-captain and opener Shubman Gill, who has also found it tough in the T20 format. Gill has scored just four runs, including a duck, in the first two matches of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa. Chopra said that both senior batters need to step up before the World Cup. “If you are playing at No. 3 or No. 4 and are not scoring runs, and they aren't being scored consistently and over a long period of time, you won't be that confident when you start the [T20] World Cup. So, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain, and Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, scoring runs is absolutely imperative,” he added.

India are currently playing a five-match T20I series against South Africa, where both Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill have struggled so far. The pair have scored only 21 runs across four innings in the first two matches. The third T20I will be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on December 14, and India will be hoping for a turnaround from their key batters in the remaining games.