“A captain's job is not just to toss and manage the bowlers” - Ex-Indian captain slams Suryakumar Yadav amid poor form

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has slammed the Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his dip in form in the shortest format of the game, scoring only 227 runs since November 2024 at an average of 13.35.

Interestingly, in the first two T20Is against South Africa, Surya could score 12 and five runs, raising serious concerns about his form. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra has asserted that Surya’s primary role is to score runs.

"You are the team's captain, but a captain's job is not just to 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," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"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," he added.

"I am not saying there is any doubt over Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, or that he won't be India's captain in the World Cup. I am not suggesting that at all, but the truth is that he needs to score runs," Chopra noted.

"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 World Cup. So, Suryakumar Yadav, the captain, and Shubman Gill, the vice-captain, scoring runs is absolutely imperative," he concluded.

In the ongoing calendar year, Suryakumar Yadav has amassed only 201 runs from 19 T20Is at an average of 14.35 without a half-century.

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