India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has been under great pressure in recent times, with his run of low scores raising questions about his form ahead of the T20I World Cup 2026. In the past assignments, Suryakumar has struggled to rediscover his rhythm since taking over the captaincy.
His last half-century in the shortest format came back in October 2024. Despite the noise around his performances, Suryakumar has adopted a calm and composed stance ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday. Addressing the media, the Indian skipper made it clear that he is not overly concerned about his personal form.
"Yes, I’ve been batting really well, and also talking about the runs; they will definitely come. But at the same time, I can't do things differently. I don’t want to change my identity that has given me success over the past three or four years," Suryakumar Yadav said at the press conference.
"I want to bat the same way. If performance comes, I’ll take it. If it doesn’t, I’ll go back to the drawing board, practice again, work hard and come back stronger," he added.
Yadav stressed that he has the responsibility to lead 14 other players, and personal milestones don't matter to him.
"If this were an individual sport like table tennis or lawn tennis, I would definitely think more. But this is a team sport. In team sport, my first responsibility is how the team is doing. If the team is doing well and winning, I’m happy. If my performance is there, that’s okay; if it isn't, that's okay. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t," he asserted.
"At the same time, I have to look after the other 14 players and the support staff as well. I’ve been appointed as the leader of everyone, and I have everyone’s responsibility. There’s no room for personal milestones. Everyone has to step up, do well, and be happy for each other. That’s the most important thing in a team environment, and that’s what I like to do," he said.