Suryakumar Yadav as a T20I captain of India was really brilliant. The 34-year-old has been in charge of the team for more than a year and hasn't lost a series in the format yet. On Thursday in the third T20I against Australia, Suryakumar's incisive tactical moves, particularly his bowling changes, attracted a lot of praise as India bowled out the visitors for just 119 runs. Ex-India player Mohammed Kaif was full of praise for Suryakumar's situational leadership and described him as an "unpredictable" captain who excels when he doesn't follow a set plan.
Mohammad Kaif lauds Suryakumar Yadav’s instinctive, situation-based approach
“I see Suryakumar, as captain, does not want to move ahead with any fixed plan,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. “For example, if a right-hander is on strike, he brings on Axar Patel. It doesn’t matter to him if Washington Sundar isn’t bowling, he picks whoever can create pressure in that moment. On a turning track, Arshdeep Singh might bowl only two overs while the spinners handle more.”
Kaif added that Suryakumar himself has admitted to using bowlers based on the match situation and pitch conditions, a strategy that has worked effectively so far.
The former cricketer also praised Suryakumar’s willingness to experiment with the batting order. In the third T20I, the skipper sent Shivam Dube to bat at No. 3 ahead of himself, a move that paid off given the presence of spinners Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell. “When Abhishek Sharma got out in the seventh over and spinners were operating, they sent Dube because he hits big and handles spin well,” Kaif explained. “He was given the freedom to play his shots.”
If India clinch the final T20I, it will mark Suryakumar’s fifth consecutive bilateral series triumph as captain, adding to previous wins over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, along with an unbeaten Asia Cup 2025 campaign.
