IND vs ENG 4th T20I: “Under-fire” Suryakumar Yadav should look to win series & form in Pune
by Naman Jain · Inside Sport IndiaJust like Suryakumar Yadav, even Sanju Samson will be under fire to turn up in Pune in the IND vs ENG 4th T20I.
It’s never easy being the captain of the Indian cricket team, and Suryakumar Yadav is learning it the hard way (at least as a batter). His form has been a shadow of his usual explosive self, with a string of low scores stretching back to the South Africa series. With numbers like 0, 12, and 14 in the current series, the former world’s No. 1 T20I batter is struggling to make an impact. Despite Surya’s slump, India hold a 2-1 lead in the series, meaning they are only one win away from clinching it. If India win this match, it would extend Men in Blue’s T20I bilateral wins beyond 2,164 days.
England defended superbly well in Rajkot as the Indian batters couldn’t find their mojo of what Tilak Varma did in the second T20I in Chennai. The Pune encounter presents Team India with another perfect opportunity—not just to win the series, but also to see batting stars align like the bowling has done so far.
Suryakumar Yadav stats since becoming India’s permanent T20I captain
| Runs | 4s | 6s | SR | Dismissal | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 8 | 2 | 223.07 | lbw | v Sri Lanka |
| 26 | 4 | 1 | 216.66 | caught | v Sri Lanka |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 88.88 | caught | v Sri Lanka |
| 29 | 2 | 3 | 207.14 | caught | v Bangladesh |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 80 | caught | v Bangladesh |
| 75 | 8 | 5 | 214.28 | caught | v Bangladesh |
| 21 | 2 | 1 | 123.52 | caught | v South Africa |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 44.44 | lbw | v South Africa |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | caught | v South Africa |
| DNB | – | – | – | – | v South Africa |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | caught | v England |
| 12 | 3 | 0 | 171.42 | bowled | v England |
| 16 | 1 | 1 | 200.00 | caught | v England |
It looks like captaincy has hampered Suryakumar Yadav’s form massively. From a period of 2022 to 2023, Suryakumar hammered 1897 runs at an average of above 47 and at a SR of 173.8. This tally means he scored almost 73 percent of his career runs in that period. But now, since Suryakumar has become India’s permanent captain, he has made just 258 runs at a mere average of 21.50 and at a SR of above 166.00.
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England’s pace fire vs India’s spin web
England have stuck to a relentless pace strategy in this series, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Brydon Carse bowling hard lengths at serious speeds. This approach has troubled India’s top order, including Surya, who has fallen to pace in every match so far. The English camp is unlikely to change its winning formula, especially with Pune’s westerly crosswinds aiding their fast bowlers.
India, in contrast, have banked on their spinners, with Varun Chakaravarthy leading the way. The mystery spinner has been India’s biggest weapon, boasting an average of 8.5 in this series. India’s spin-heavy approach has been highly effective so far, and with Pune’s surface expected to offer some turn, they are likely to persist with it.
Team Updates: Rinku Returns, Arshdeep back in mix
After Rinku Singh was declared fit, he is likely to make his return, replacing Dhruv Jurel. His finishing ability was sorely missed in Rajkot, and India will be eager to have him back in the middle order. Another expected change is the return of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who was rested in the previous game. He will likely partner Mohammad Shami in the pace department.
India’s Probable XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy.
England’s Probable XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (wk), Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.