Aakash Chopra highlights Suryakumar Yadav's form ahead of 2nd T20I
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concerns over Suryakumar Yadav's recent form as India prepares for the second T20I against England.
The match is set to take place on January 25 in Chennai.
Chopra stressed that a captain's poor run can add a lot of pressure, referring to Rohit Sharma's recent woes.
However, this comes after Yadav was dismissed for a duck during the hosts' seven-wicket win in the series opener in Kolkata.
Here's more.
Performance dip
Chopra analyzes Yadav's declining performance in T20I cricket
In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra examined Yadav's dwindling performance.
He said, "His numbers aren't looking very good. In 2021, he had an average of 34 and a strike rate of 155. In 2022, an average of 46 and a strike rate of 187 in 31 innings."
He added that despite keeping a similar pace in the game, Yadav's run tally has plummeted over time.
Leadership concerns
Chopra warns of potential impact on Yadav's captaincy
Chopra warned that Yadav's diminishing run tally could negatively affect his decision-making as a captain.
He said, "The decision-making doesn't remain that good without runs. A captain is under a lot of pressure when he doesn't score runs."
Despite acknowledging Yadav's commendable leadership so far, Chopra cautioned that errors might happen if the Indian T20I skipper continues to struggle with scoring runs.
Batting uncertainty
Chopra questions Yadav's batting position in the team
Chopra also questioned Yadav's floating batting position in the team.
He said, "You have also become a floater now. This team has decided that a left-hander and right-hander would open."
He suggested that Yadav might bat at No. 4 if Abhishek Sharma is dismissed before Sanju Samson, further adding to the uncertainty around his batting position.
Numbers
A look at the Indian T20I skipper's career numbers
The Indian skipper has featured in 79 T20Is. Meanwhile, he has raced to 2,570 runs while averaging 40.15.
Additionally, he boasts a strike rate of 167.53 including four hundreds and 21 fifties, with a career-high score of 117 vs England.
However, talking about his diminishing run tally, Yadav managed just 429 runs across 18 matches in the 2024 calendar year.
Overall, both his strike rate and average were also affected in 2024, (AVG: 26.81, SR: 151.59), raising concerns.