India skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s lean patch in T20Is continued as he was dismissed for just 5 runs against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Friday (December 19).

Suryakumar’s batting numbers have fallen drastically ever since assuming the T20I captaincy. He has managed to score only 218 runs across 21 matches and 19 innings in 2025, averaging just over 13, with the best score of 47* to his credit.

Although India emerged victorious by 30 runs in Ahmedabad and clinched the five-T20I series 3-1, Suryakumar's dismal run became a topic of debate among the fans and experts.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also expressed concern over Suryakumar Yadav’s indifferent form, saying a captain short of runs is never a good sign.

Despite his constant failures lately, the former No.1-ranked T20I batter retained his position as captain in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad announced on Saturday (December 20).

“I feel the concern is definitely there because as a captain you need to bat really well, you need to be in form going into the big tournament, especially a tournament like World Cup, you want your best player to be in top form so you're not worrying about you know what's going to happen, how you're going to get the runs. So there is a concern," Pathan was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“My concern is him not scoring runs, not only that but his strike rate is going down as well. His strike rate is generally 166, but now it has come down to 119, especially in the last year. So that's the concern for me but if he gets his role right, if he actually starts scoring runs, because he's going to be playing a major role," Pathan added.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator stressed that pressure on India’s middle order would ease considerably if Surya finds his mojo back.

“Look, the kind of cricket Abhishek Sharma is playing, there might be situations in some big games he might get out cheaply because that's the kind of cricket he plays and that's why he's been successful as well, but does he need to change? He doesn't need to change and when you have that high-risk cricket, you have tendency to get out as well. So the pressure will come on the middle-order batters and when you have in-form Suryakumar Yadav, that's a whole different game," Pathan stated.

He further expressed hope that Surya stays at the crease longer, faces more deliveries, and finds consistency heading into the World Cup.

“So we just hope that Surya gets into the form and you know he finds his way, finds his way to actually just stay a bit more longer, play more deliveries and hopefully you know going into the World Cup before he'll get few opportunities as well. Hopefully, he'll be able to get that right," Pathan remarked.

Irfan Pathan concluded by saying that every World Cup-bound squad carries its own set of concerns.

“No team in the world goes into the World Cup without any concern. There is nothing like 100 per cent clean slate," he signed off.