Yadav Remains Unfazed by Lean Patch as India Faces SA in 3rd T20I

Suryakumar Yadav admitted on Sunday that he has been lacking runs but emphasized it’s not a matter of form, asserting that his scores would soon improve.

During the third T20I against South Africa, India’s T20I captain scored 12 off 11 balls before being dismissed by Lungi Ngidi, contributing to a seven-wicket victory. This match added to a series of low scores for Suryakumar, aside from his 75 against Bangladesh in October and an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in September.

In the post-match presentation, Suryakumar expressed confidence, saying, “I’ve been batting beautifully in the nets. When the runs have to come, they’ll come. Not out of form, definitely out of runs.”

This performance brought Suryakumar’s T20I average for 2025 down to 14.20, with two matches remaining in the series against South Africa.

Despite his struggles, Suryakumar found satisfaction in India’s reaction after their loss in the second T20I. He remarked, “This sport teaches you a lot. How you come back into the series is more important. We wanted to return to basics, replicate what we did in Cuttack, and the results followed.”

Reflecting on the game in New Chandigarh, he noted, “There was a lot of learning. The bowlers convened, and we had a productive team meeting.”

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Focusing on the Basics

Player-of-the-Match Arshdeep Singh attributed his comeback to sticking with the basics after an average performance in New Chandigarh.

“…sticking to basics and trusting my skill set. At this level, some days the execution doesn’t go as planned. It was an off day, so it feels good to perform like this,” Arshdeep shared.

He mentioned, “I focused on pitching the ball in the right areas, leveraging the wicket’s conditions. The cold weather provided swing and seam.”

The left-arm pacer dedicated his award to his 10-month-old niece who attended the game.

Honest Discussions

Varun Chakaravarthy, who claimed two wickets in the middle overs, noted that the pitch’s skidding nature favored his bowling style.

“The seamers got some help. Otherwise, conditions were challenging. I’ve never played where it’s this cold. I aimed to play to my strengths; the ball skidded more than it turned,” he observed.

Chakaravarthy mentioned that after the second T20I in Mullanpur, the bowlers and team management engaged in candid conversations.

“We had a bowling meeting with honest discussions. Credit to management and bowlers for this open dialogue. I wasn’t aware of reaching 50 T20I wickets, but it’s a great feeling,” he said.

Published on Dec 14, 2025