Suryakumar Yadav of India (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed serious concerns regarding Suryakumar Yadav’s batting performance leading into the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan this Sunday. The Indian captain has found runs hard to come by in the tournament, managing only 71 runs across five innings. This tally includes a solitary unbeaten 47 during a group stage match against Pakistan, followed by an unfortunate duck in their Super Four encounter last week.
Despite coming off an exceptional IPL season where he amassed a stunning 717 runs earlier this year, Suryakumar’s international form in 2025 has been markedly disappointing, with just 99 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 110.
During a discussion on Sony Sports, Irfan Pathan drew a direct correlation between Yadav’s batting form and his effectiveness as captain. “When his bat performs well, his captaincy naturally benefits. His repeated dismissals while attempting the sweep shot are a significant worry, a pattern we’ve seen throughout the year,” Pathan observed. “He’s played only one or two impactful innings in international cricket, and runs have been scarce. While his IPL performance was outstanding, he hasn’t managed to replicate that form on the international stage.”
Pathan emphasized the need for Suryakumar to address this issue. “We discussed this even during the commentary of the last match. When a player is struggling for form, it’s generally advisable to play straight, especially against fast bowlers. Yet, even today, he fell victim to a sweep shot against a spinner. This team will undoubtedly become stronger once he finds his batting rhythm,” Pathan added.
Since taking on the captaincy, Suryakumar has scored 329 runs in 19 innings spread across 21 matches, averaging a modest 19.35 with only two half-centuries. He has only surpassed the 20-run mark six times while maintaining a strike rate above 145.