Rohit Sharma Minces No Words, Warns Suryakumar Yadav Over Poor Form: "Batting Lineup Suffers"
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's poor form with the bat in recent months has been a big talking point, and Rohit Sharma also weighed in on the matter.
- Rohit Sharma weighed in on India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's rough patch with the bat
- Rohit stated that the poor form of Suryakumar - or any other batter - could affect the entire batting lineup
- "If Surya doesn't play well, the batting lineup suffers," Rohit said
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav's form with the bat is a cause for concern for Team India heading into the T20 World Cup 2026 on home soil. Once the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the world for nearly two years, Suryakumar struggled for runs in international cricket in 2025. India's T20 World Cup 2024-winning captain Rohit Sharma stated that Suryakumar Yadav's poor form could impact the entire batting order, but also emphasised that every batter needs to perform to ensure the unit does not suffer.
"It's not about the captain getting in form or not. If a player is not in form. The seven or eight batters we have, out of that, we are getting one less batter. The main batting power that we have, obviously, if you leave one out, then it will not be as effective as it should be. If Surya doesn't play well, the batting lineup suffers," Rohit said in an interview with Star Sports.
Rohit, however, reserved appreciation for Suryakumar Yadav's leadership skills.
"SKY knows the game. He knows the players." @ImRo45 highlights @surya_14kumar's form and impact, calling him a critical batter whose presence brings balance and confidence to India's batting lineup.
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 20, 2026
Why is SKY central to India's success on the biggest stage?
Watch it... pic.twitter.com/JEXFzIPhWA
Suryakumar was handed the captaincy of India's T20I team after Rohit's retirement from the format.
"I think Surya has a lot of understanding regarding the game and the players who are playing with him, how to get the best out of them," Rohit said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's T20I team captain Mitchell Santner said that having recent successes against India across different formats gives the team an edge over the hosts, ahead of the five-match India vs New Zealand T20I series, set to begin on Wednesday at Nagpur.
New Zealand will be coming into the T20I series after an impressive 2-1 series win over the Shubman Gill-led Team India in the three-match ODI series. Led by Michael Bracewell, New Zealand put up a special fight to wn the series against an Indian team that saw ODI giants Rohit Sharna and Virat Kohli return. The Kiwis, despite missing key New Zealand players like Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Matt Henry, and others, registered their first-ever ODI series on Indian soil.
Notably, New Zealand also registered a historic 3-0 Test series clean sweep over India back in 2024.
"It obviously gives us an edge. We love playing India, and we love playing in India. We have had some recent successes against India in different formats. We are looking forward to the series. The aim, first of all, is obviously to win the series but also have good enough preparation leading into the T20 World Cup 2026. It's about playing a great team in similar conditions to what we are gonna face in the World Cup. In terms of preparations for the series, it's going to be a great series," Santner said.
With ANI inputs
Rohit Sharma
India Cricket Team