Suryakumar Yadav might not feature for India in next World Cup: India defeated West Indies by five wickets in a must-win game to qualify for the semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue will face England in the next phase of the major tournament. Despite Sanju Samson’s 97* run heroics, there has been concern over forms of certain players in the team.
Among them, skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s form has also been a concern. Despite a good start at the competition, he has failed to keep up the momentum. Suryakumar Yadav has just scored one fifty in the competition, which came in the very first game against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium. He has scored around three 30+ scores, but his strike rate been the main concern.
Because with Sky, what you do expect is that- Rohan Gavaskar
Speaking on Cricbuzz, former England captain Michael Vaughan and former India batter Rohan Gavaskar have shared their views on Surya’s drop in strike rate in this competition despite starting well.
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Rohan Gavaskar said, “I mean, it depends on what kind of lengths you look at. When India were in trouble against USA, he came in and got 84 off 49. Now, the only thing I’d be a little worried about when I say this is his strike rate.
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Now or Never for SKY? 👀@MichaelVaughan, @rohangava9 & @gauravkapur weigh in 🎥#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/KhO6I8Uh65
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 2, 2026
“Because with Sky, what you do expect is that even if he gets you those 30s, which he has on three occasions, you want that strike rate to be right up there. You want it to be about 170–180, because that is now the template of T20 batting.”
“You get a quickfire 30 with a strike rate of 180, you’ve done a great job. You don’t have to worry about getting 50s or 60s. So, look, the only thing I’d be worried about a little bit, a wee bit, is his strike rate. But like you said, if you keep winning, you know, these little things.”
Those numbers aren’t good enough for him [Suryakumar Yadav]- Michael Vaughan
Adding to it, former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed Suryakumar Yadav as the former believes the current T20I captain has failed to keep up with the strike rate and has been playing T20 like a 50-over format.
Vaughan pointed out that this is the last opportunity for Suryakumar Yadav, as he has already turned 35, and he might not be selected in the next T20 World Cup in 2028 with the amount of talent India has, especially in the shorter format of the game.
Vaughan said, “I’ll be honest, I have Sky up there with the top echelon of T20 and 50-over batting. I think he, at times, is a genius. Those numbers aren’t good enough for him. He’s had one good knock against the USA. You don’t judge your World Cup on a knock against the USA.”
“33 off 13 against Zimbabwe — you’re right to point out the strike rates. Those strike rates for a player like Sky are just far too low. And I think he’s got to the stage now where he has an incredible opportunity to up his game in the next two matches, and he could be on a podium lifting the World Cup.”
“He might never get that chance once again. He might not have this opportunity in two years’ time. Who knows with Indian cricket, with the amount of talent they’ve got. With all these young players that are coming through, they’re everywhere. And by the way, if you carry on with those numbers. He won’t be there.”
Suyrakumar Yadav is currently the leading run scorer for India in this competition. He has scored 231 runs in the seven innings he batted for the side. Suryakumar Yadav will be next in action against England at his home ground, Wankhede.
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