Former cricketer questions Suryakumar Yadav’s T20I olace, says leadership isn’t enough
Suryakumar Yadav comes under fire after a former cricketer questions his recent T20I performances, stating leadership should not guarantee selection.
Suryakumar Yadav (Image | BCCI on X)
Last Updated: 08.17 PM, Dec 17, 2025
India's skipper Suryakumar Yadav has landed in trouble yet again for not performing in the T20Is. Former cricketer Manoj Tiwari has praised the cricketer for his leadership skills but called him out for his performance recently. SKY, who has been captaining the team from a year now averages around 13 in the T20Is in 2024-25 season.
Being India's captain, this is not a good news for the right-handed batter. While the team's performance has been incredible in the past year, Suryakumar has failed to showcase the explosive batting style he is known for. Speaking about that, Tiwari mentioned that he is rushing too much and that been hampering his performance.
"Yes, it is concerning. He is a terrific player and one of India’s most talented cricketers. However, he needs to analyse what is going wrong—mentally, technically, and in his game plan. From (my) observation, it seems he is rushing too much and playing unnecessary shots early in his innings. If he settles for even 10 balls, with proper cricket shots, he has the ability to accelerate later," said Manoj Tiwari as quoted by RevSportz.
"Leadership should not guarantee selection. Performance should. If India wants to win the World Cup, decisions must be fair, bold, and based on contribution, not reputation or future planning alone," he added.
Should BCCI look beyond Suryakumar Yadav for captaincy role?
Suryakumar Yadav took over India's captaincy after India won the T20 World Cup 2024. Hence, he got to captain a successful team. This means that, he didn't have to put in a lot of effort in creating a solid team in the format. Despite the leadership pressure, SKY consistent performance failure has finally come to light after maintaining a low average for more than a year.
Since India were winning games consistently, Suryakumar Yadav's failed performance was not getting highlighted. When it comes to captaincy, the BCCI should consider someone like Hardik Pandya or Shreyas Iyer who have proven their worth with the bat and performed in important matches. SKY's performance has deteriorated over the time and that's quite concerning as a skipper.
Where to watch the India vs South Africa match?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs South Africa 4th T20I match online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.