Harbhajan Singh Criticizes Suryakumar Yadav’s Poor Form After India’s 3rd T20I Loss

Harbhajan Singh Criticizes Suryakumar Yadav’s Poor Form After India’s 3rd T20I Loss

Harbhajan Singh Questions Suryakumar Yadav’s Form After India’s 3rd T20I Defeat. Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh cited Suryakumar Yadav’s inconsistency. It was a key reason for India’s 26-run loss to England in the 3rd T20I in Rajkot on January 29. Harbhajan acknowledged Yadav’s aggressive batting. But, he was underwhelmed by his recent performances.

India’s defeat was their first T20I loss at home in 426 days. Yadav’s batting struggles are a growing concern. His scores in the series so far reflect his poor form:

• 0 (3) in 1st T20I – Caught behind off Jofra Archer.
• 12 (7) in 2nd T20I – Brief start but failed to convert.
• 14 (7) in 3rd T20I – Dismissed in a similar fashion, caught behind off Mark Wood.

Harbhajan noted that Yadav was beaten by pace in both his dismissals against Archer and Wood. This suggests a weakness against express speed.

Suryakumar Yadav’s Recent Struggles in T20Is

Yadav’s lack of form extends beyond this series. During India’s tour of South Africa last year, he managed just 26 runs in three matches. As captain, his numbers have also been underwhelming:

Matches as Captain : 12

Runs : 256

Average : 21.33

Half-Centuries : 2

His last half-century came against Bangladesh in October 2023. Since then, he has not made a significant impact with the bat.

Harbhajan Singh: “He Hasn’t Been Consistent”

Harbhajan Singh, worried about Yadav, said he hasn’t won any matches with his batting.

“There’s one issue I’m noticing, and that’s Suryakumar Yadav. He’s an exceptional player, and I admire him a lot, but his form has been off lately,” he said.

“In T20 cricket, it’s understandable that you need to play aggressive shots, but he hasn’t been consistent with the bat recently. He really needs to deliver. He’s one player who has the ability to turn the game around,” he added.

Harbhajan also speculated whether the pressure of captaincy is affecting Yadav’s batting:

“Suryakumar Yadav hasn’t been scoring enough runs in recent series. It could be the pressure of captaincy, but regardless, I expect him to step up and play match-winning knocks to inspire the team.”

Can Suryakumar Yadav Bounce Back in the 4th T20I?

With India up 2-1 in the series, Yadav must find his form and play a key innings in the 4th T20I. His ability to handle England’s pace attack will be crucial as India aims to secure the series win in Pune.