NEW DELHI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav has played down concerns over his prolonged slump, insisting he remains confident of finding his destructive touch in time for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The right-hander has endured a difficult year in the shortest format, managing modest returns and averaging under 15, a run that has put his form firmly under scrutiny ahead of the ICC tournament, which begins on February 7.
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With India set to defend their T20 World Cup crown, Suryakumar maintained that the dip is only temporary and believes he will peak when it matters most.
"I know what to do and I will do it. You will definitely see Surya the batter but this phase has lasted a little longer. Other players have also bounced back in form in the past," Surya said in the press conference for India's squad announcement.
The 35-year-old acknowledged that a World Cup on home soil brings its own pressures, but said it is a challenge he relishes.
"It's a good responsibility and challenge for me to play in front of the home crowd. The squad looks balanced and we have filled in the positions well. We already have 2-3 combinations ready when we see the squad," he added.
Shubman Gill, who was recently appointed India's T20I vice-captain, has been left out of the 15-member squad following a dip in form. He struggled in the recent home series against South Africa, scoring 4, 0 and 28, before missing the fifth match due to injury.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar identified Gill's recent lack of runs and the combination compulsions as reasons for his omission from India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar too hinted at the necessity of combination as the reason behind Gills' omission.
"Post T20 WC (2024) we went to Sri Lanka and we had scored 200 and Gill was part of it. We wanted to have a keeper at the top and Rinku or Washy (down the order), which is why we have an extra keeper at the top. There is no question of (Gill's) form," said Suryakumar.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)
