“It is not that I was not working hard” - Team India star batter addresses form concerns ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 T20Is

Team India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav assured that he is working hard towards regaining his form back ahead of the highly anticipated away T20I series against Australia. The ace batter is without a fifty across his last 14 matches, and had a poor 2025 Asia Cup campaign with the bat in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently.

The former No.1 T20I-ranked batter holds a crippling average of 11.11 in 11 innings played in 2025 so far, and is currently stuck in an unfamiliar phase. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had recently defended Suryakumar Yadav's current run, and the skipper himself also believes that runs will eventually come as he is continuously working hard on his game.

"I feel like I have been working really hard, before also I was doing it, it is not that I was not working hard. I've had a few good sessions back home, good 2-3 sessions here, so I am in a good space, I think that is really important. Runs, it will come eventually, but working hard towards a team goal, that's more important," Suryakumar Yadav said during the pre-match press conference ahead of the first T20I (via RevSportz).

Apart from pressure on Suryakumar Yadav as a batter amid his poor run of form, the upcoming series also presents itself as his biggest challenge as captain. It marks only the second time he will be leading Team India outside the subcontinent as a full-time captain.

The skipper does not necessarily believe that India have to deviate too much from their current combination to match the conditions in Australia.

"I don't think that our combination changes too much with conditions. If you see, when we played in South Africa, over there we played one fast bowler, one all-rounder, and three spinners. Conditions are similar over here, some bouncy tracks," he said.

Suryakumar Yadav had led India to a resounding 3-1 series win in South Africa in 2024, where spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, were among the leading wicket-takers.

"We can't play all 15 players" - India captain Suryakumar Yadav on the ever-present selection conundrum ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 1st T20I

Team India had to make several bold calls in terms of selection in the 2025 Asia Cup campaign. With a strong bench still intact, it does not make Suryakumar Yadav's job easier to pick the right personnel and combination to give the team the best chance for the win.

The Indian skipper revealed how he has to maintain cordial relationship with all players, so that he can communicate to them if they are dropped.

"As a captain, I have maintained friendships with everyone, because I can then explain them lovingly. Because only 11 players can play, we can't play all 15 players. But according to me, anyone can get an opportunity, anytime. If you see, during the Asia Cup, Rinku Singh did not get an opportunity till the final, but he got a chance when the team needed the last 3-4 runs," Suryakumar Yadav said.

Team India will kickstart the five-match T20I series against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29.