Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif pointed out that Suryakumar Yadav does not have much time on his side as he continues to struggle for form in T20I cricket. The Indian skipper is going through what is arguably the leanest phase of his otherwise stellar T20I career, following yet another underwhelming performance in the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday, December 14.
Suryakumar was dismissed for 12 off 11 balls in India’s seven-wicket victory and is close to finishing the year without a single T20I half-century. In 2025, he has managed just 213 runs from 18 innings at an average of 14.20, failing to reach double figures in nine of those knocks.
When there was a discussion about players not getting chances because of age, Mohammad Kaif pointed out that Suryakumar still gets strong support despite being 35 years old. He also reminded that Virat Kohli stepped away from T20I cricket at the same age.
“Suryakumar Yadav is 35 years old. Virat Kohli retired at 35 after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The most important thing is form. If a player is playing well, scoring runs, diving around, showing commitment to play for the Indian team, doing everything right, then the age is not a big factor. if it was, Michael Hussey would have never made his debut,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“Even four ducks won’t drop him” – Kaif on Suryakumar Yadav’s place
Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif said Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form is a bigger concern for India ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup than Shubman Gill’s struggles, adding that the team needs stability with him as captain.
Kaif added that there is no chance of Suryakumar being dropped, and the team will not look to appoint a new captain during such an uncertain period.
“Suryakumar Yadav will not be dropped. Actually, he is the bigger cause of concern, but being dropped does not apply to him. Look, bringing in Samson for Gill is a simple, obvious switch, but it is not the case with Surya. We are talking about Gill, but Surya’s form must be the one hurting Gambhir and the team management.”
“There are many replacements for Gill, like Samson and Jaiswal. But if you remove the captain, and appoint someone else when the World Cup is right here, that is not going to happen,” Kaif said.
“Even if he scores a duck in his next four matches, Surya will not be removed. So, it is better that Surya takes a call himself, knowing that he is going to play no matter what. He is not facing a drop situation like Gill is,” he continued.
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