Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes skipper Suryakumar Yadav missed a valuable opportunity to regain form by not promoting himself to No. 3 in the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamshala on Sunday. India went on to register a comfortable seven-wicket win at the HPCA Stadium, but Suryakumar’s brief stay at the crease, 12 off 11 balls, once again highlighted his ongoing struggles with the bat.
Former Indian cricketer slams Suryakumar Yadav over poor form ahead of T20 World Cup
Kaif, now a commentator, felt the match situation was ideal for Suryakumar to spend time in the middle and rebuild confidence. Chasing a modest target after a strong powerplay, India were never under pressure, making it a low-risk scenario for the skipper to take responsibility higher up the order.
“Suryakumar Yadav had a chance to bat at No. 3 today,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. “India had already taken control of the match. He could have gone in early, spent time at the crease and stayed unbeaten on 30 or 40. That would have helped him going into the next games. He’s a solid player, nobody is questioning his ability. The concern is the lack of runs.”
Mohammed Kaif urges courage from out-of-form batters
Kaif also spoke about the mental challenges batters face when runs dry up, stressing that hiding from responsibility only delays a comeback. He pointed out that Tilak Varma was sent in ahead of Suryakumar and played a steady 26* off 34 as India completed the chase with 25 balls to spare.
“When confidence is low, there are second thoughts — ‘should I go out to bat or not?’ But you have to be brave,” Kaif explained. “You can’t sit in the dugout if you want to make a comeback. You have to take that challenge head-on. By the time Suryakumar came in, there weren’t enough runs left to score. Even if he stayed not out, he couldn’t have crossed 20.”
Suryakumar’s recent T20I numbers underline Kaif’s concern. The Mumbai batter has managed just 131 runs in his last 11 innings at a strike rate of 122.42, crossing the 30-run mark only once in that period. With the T20 World Cup 2026 approaching rapidly, India will be hoping their captain can rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
India currently lead the five-match series 2–1. The fourth and fifth T20Is are scheduled in Lucknow on December 17 and Ahmedabad on December 19. A win in Lucknow would seal the series for India, while South Africa must win to keep the contest alive.
