Suryakumar Yadav's recent slump in form has become a major talking point ahead of the T20 World Cup, prompting concern and advice from cricketing legends. Among them is former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who has offered a blunt yet supportive message to the struggling Indian T20I skipper.
Yadav, who was once ranked as the world's number one T20I batter, has experienced a significant dip in performance. In 2025, he managed a mere 218 runs in 19 innings, averaging just 13.62 with a strike rate of 123.16. This underwhelming performance has raised concerns about his form heading into the T20 World Cup, where India will be defending their title on home soil.
Ponting expressed his surprise at Yadav's recent struggles. Speaking on the ICC Review, he noted that Yadav has been a solid and consistent contributor for India in T20 cricket for a long time, making his current form slump all the more unexpected. Despite this, Ponting remains confident in Yadav's ability to rediscover his best form.
Ponting's advice to Yadav is straightforward: focus on scoring runs and don't worry about getting out. He emphasized the importance of trusting and backing oneself, reminding Yadav of his proven ability to perform at the highest level in the T20 format. Ponting drew a parallel between Yadav and Travis Head, noting that both players share a fearless approach to the game, seemingly unburdened by the fear of dismissal. He advised Yadav to embrace this mindset and concentrate on contributing runs to the team's total.
Ponting also highlighted Yadav's typical approach to an innings, observing that he often takes a few balls to get settled before unleashing his full range of shots. He encouraged Yadav to trust this process and allow himself the time to get comfortable at the crease before playing more aggressively.
In addition to his comments on Yadav, Ponting also expressed surprise at the exclusion of Shubman Gill from the squad, who was previously the vice-captain. He acknowledged that Gill's recent form in white-ball cricket hasn't been great but still found his omission surprising. Ponting further identified Axar Patel as a key player for India in the upcoming World Cup, citing his batting versatility and reliable spin bowling.
