The much-awaited five-match T20I series between India and Australia gets underway on Wednesday (October 29) at Canberra’s Manuka Oval. Having won the previous ODI series 2-1, the attention now turns to the shortest version of the game, with both teams looking to tweak their combinations before the next month’s T20 World Cup, which is merely four months away.
Team India come into this series in high spirits, having won the Asia Cup in Dubai after a thrilling final against Pakistan. Ex-India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar believes the time has come for Suryakumar Yadav to prove his critics wrong with his performance and not words. The Indian captain, who turned 35 earlier this year, has had a tough time in T20Is throughout 2025 so far, scoring just 100 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate just over 105.
“This Australian tour presents an interesting scenario. While team victories often overshadow individual performances, any downturn in results will raise questions. As India’s T20I Captain and someone who’s been the number one-ranked batter in T20I cricket for a long period of time, Suryakumar’s extended run without significant scores at number three will inevitably create internal scrutiny,” said JioStar Nayar on ‘Game Plan’.
While Suryakumar did manage to take India to an Asia Cup triumph in Dubai, his own batting has been anything but reassuring. Perversely, he was in scintillating form in the IPL 2025, scoring 717 runs for Mumbai Indians, but that fire which has characterized his international T20 career appears to have faded more recently. The forthcoming five-T20I series against Australia may then be an important chance for him to get his rhythm back.
“We know his calibre and impact potential, and Australian conditions with their bounce and pace should actually benefit his batting style. Ultimately, the biggest questions will come from within, as this current output doesn’t reflect his true capabilities,” he added.
Nayar feels the Indian skipper’s extended slump could see some serious discussion in the team management pretty soon if he doesn’t pick up on the tour of Australia. In 12 T20Is this season, Suryakumar has not yet scored a fifty, with his best so far being an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup group stages.
India’s existing batting template is fashioned around aggressive, attacking cricket a model that has produced for them but one that has also left players such as Suryakumar prone to regular dismissals. It might be time, feels Nayar, for the right-hander to dial down his aggression for a bit, stabilize in the crease, and regain confidence before sliding back into his usual attacking mode.
With Shubman Gill trying to find a place in the T20 team permanently, pressure is building on Suryakumar to be back in form and provide runs. His return to form will be imperative if India is to retain their T20 World Cup title next year, when the event comes back to India and Sri Lanka.
The first T20I between India and Australia begins on Wednesday, October 29, at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.
