India may have secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the third T20I at Dharamsala to take a 2–1 lead in the five-match series, but concerns around Suryakumar Yadav’s prolonged dip in form continue to grow. The Indian captain once again failed to make an impact, scoring just 12 runs off 11 balls, extending a worrying run that has now stretched through the entire 2025 season without a single T20I half-century.
Despite a stellar IPL 2025 campaign where he amassed over 700 runs for Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar’s struggles at the international level have been stark. His average in T20Is this year has dipped below 15, raising questions ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka early next year.
During the third T20I, Suryakumar fell attempting his trademark pick-up shot over fine leg, mistiming the effort and offering a straightforward catch to Ottneil Baartman off Lungi Ngidi’s bowling. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on commentary, offered candid advice, urging the batter to shelve the risky stroke until his confidence returns.
Gavaskar pointed out that while the shot has served Suryakumar well in the past, his lack of form has turned it into a liability. He suggested that the Indian skipper should temporarily put the shot “in cold storage” and focus on rebuilding his innings, stressing that the team cannot afford such brief contributions from a player of his calibre.
Suryakumar has now gone 21 T20I innings without reaching a fifty, intensifying the spotlight on his leadership and batting form as the World Cup approaches. India’s bowling unit, meanwhile, delivered a strong performance by restricting South Africa to 117, with Harshit Rana Varun Chakaravarthy Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh picking up two wickets each. Aiden Markram’s half-century stood out as the lone resistance for the visitors.
India chased down the target with ease, led by Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, and will now look to seal the series in the fourth T20I scheduled for December 17 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
