NEW DELHI: The spotlight will once again fall on Suryakumar Yadav, as the Indian skipper looks to rediscover his batting touch when India take on Australia in the opening T20 International at the Manuka Oval, Canberra, on Wednesday. The contest is expected to be evenly poised, with both teams having won eight of their last ten T20Is, losing just one each — while India had one tied fixture, Australia saw one game washed out.
Despite Suryakumar’s lean patch with the bat, the Indian T20 side remains the most consistent of the three national formats, functioning almost on autopilot thanks to its youthful exuberance and fearless approach.
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Since assuming captaincy, Suryakumar has guided India to 23 wins in 29 games, embracing an aggressive style of cricket that emphasises attack from the very first ball. His leadership and the team’s ability to adapt quickly have resulted in a flawless bilateral record and an Asia Cup 2025 triumph, though most of those wins came against relatively weaker sides.
This series marks the real beginning of India’s preparation for the T20 World Cup next year, with 15 matches ahead to fine-tune combinations and strategy. While the results of this series might not carry long-term significance, it offers crucial experience in challenging conditions before India face South Africa and New Zealand at home in familiar environments.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir has publicly backed his captain, asserting that Suryakumar need not worry about recent low scores. However, the time is ripe for the skipper to answer critics with the bat.
In 2023, Suryakumar amassed 733 runs in 18 innings at a strike rate close to 156, including two centuries and five half-centuries. The following year, he scored nearly 450 runs at 151, but in 2025, his numbers have dipped sharply — only 100 runs in ten innings at an average of 11. Yet, his strike rate of 105 suggests that even amid struggles, he hasn’t abandoned his natural attacking game. “I feel I’ve been working really hard. I’ve had good sessions back home and a few solid ones here, so I’m in a good space,” he said ahead of the match in Canberra.
Suryakumar reiterated his focus on collective success, saying, “Runs will come eventually, but I’m working hard towards the team goal. It’s more important to deliver what the team needs in different situations. I take one game at a time — if it starts now, it’ll be a good thing.”
For Abhishek Sharma, who lit up the Asia Cup with his fearless batting, adjusting to the extra bounce and pace of Australian pitches will be a key challenge. This makes the captain’s contribution even more crucial. One recurring issue for Suryakumar has been his limited range of strokes, often relying heavily on using the pace of the ball to play behind the square.
While the bounce at Manuka Oval might favour his style, Josh Hazlewood’s disciplined Test-match lengths could test his technique and patience.
For India’s bowling unit, Jasprit Bumrah’s presence brings world-class control upfront, while Varun Chakaravarthy’s mystery spin could prove decisive in the middle overs. The combined 12 overs from Varun, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel will be pivotal alongside Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh’s new-ball bursts against the dangerous Australian opening pair of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.
On the other side, all eyes will be on Mitchell Owen, Australia’s exciting T20 prospect who featured for Punjab Kings in the IPL last season. Owen impressed against India in the recent ODI at Adelaide but will face a fresh challenge tackling India’s spinners in the middle overs.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott (games 1-3), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (games 3-5), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (games 4-5), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (games 1-2), Glenn Maxwell (games 3-5), Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis.
Match Starts: 1:45 PM IST.
(With PTI Inputs)
