Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged Suryakumar Yadav’s batting form ahead of the much-awaited Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on Sunday.
The India captain has scored just 71 runs in five innings across the tournament so far, his top score an unbeaten 47 from the group-stage match against Pakistan. He was, though, bowled for a duck when the two sides faced each other again in the Super Four stage last week.
“If his bat talks, his captaincy will also benefit. Suryakumar Yadav getting out while playing a sweep is definitely an area of concern, and this entire year has been like that. One or two innings have come for sure in international cricket. The IPL was very good, but he hasn’t scored runs in international cricket,” said Irfan.
Arriving in the Asia Cup following a brilliant Indian Premier League campaign where he scored 717 runs, Suryakumar has failed to translate that form into international cricket this season. Talking on Sony Sports, Pathan referred to Suryakumar’s lackluster numbers in 2025, saying that the captain has managed only 99 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 110. He also criticized Suryakumar for regularly throwing his wicket away while trying sweep shots.
“He needs to come out of this. We discussed in the commentary in the last match as well, as much as possible, try to play straight when you are not in form, especially against fast bowlers, but he got out while playing a sweep against a spinner today. This team will become stronger if he gets his form,” he added.
The captaincy charge was given to Suryakumar in July of last year, when Rohit Sharma stepped down from the format after India’s T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. The handover has not been smooth since then. While he destroyed a century off Bangladesh in October 2024, that is the last fifty he has scored as captain. His 75 off 35 balls in blistering fashion in Hyderabad last year raised hopes, but the consistency has never been there.
Stats indicate that the captaincy workload might be taking its toll on his performance. As the captain, Suryakumar has made just 329 runs in 19 innings in 21 games, with an average of 19.35, just two of those fifties and a strike rate of over 145. He has crossed the 20-run mark just six times since taking over as captain – a dip that has raised concerns among fans as well as experts.