Summarize

Piyush Chawla defends Suryakumar Yadav's form in England T20Is

By Gaurav Tripathi

Feb 04, 2025

11:15 am

What's the story

Former Indian spinner Piyush Chawla has defended Suryakumar Yadav after his disappointing performance in the recently-concluded T20I series against England. Although India won the series 4-1 against England, Yadav could only manage to score 28 runs in five innings, averaging a paltry 5.60. The dismal performance has led to discussions about his form and leadership capabilities.

Confidence

Chawla dismisses concerns over Yadav's form

Chawla brushed aside worries over Yadav's form while speaking on Star Sports's Match Point. He said, "You cannot say there is a question mark because when a player becomes a captain, he would have performed a lot earlier to become the captain." Chawla added that Yadav knows his recent performance and how to bounce back.

Support

Chawla backs Yadav to regain form

Chawla was confident that Yadav will find his form back. "He knows better how to come out of it. It's a matter of just one knock for such a big player," he said. A single big knock could change the scenario for the Indian skipper, he added. This comes as a vote of confidence for Yadav despite his recent failures with the bat.

Perspective

Pietersen's take on Yadav's performance

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen also joined the debate on Yadav's form. He suggested fast bowlers had troubled both Yadav and Sanju Samson in the series. However, he didn't believe a change in approach was needed for Yadav to end his lean run. "The guy is not a robot. Not a robot at all," Pietersen said, emphasizing even top players can have off-series.

Advice

Ashwin suggests change in Yadav's batting approach

Unlike Chawla and Pietersen, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opined that Yadav should rethink his batting approach. He pointed out that Yadav has been getting out time and again while playing the flick shot, which could be a sign of a flaw in his technique. "But it is time he changed his approach to his batting," Ashwin advised, emphasizing the need for adaptability in cricket.