“Virat Kohli retired at 35 after the 2024 T20 World Cup” - Former India batter’s blunt remark on Suryakumar Yadav after IND vs SA 2025 3rd T20I

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif highlighted that Suryakumar Yadav does not have the luxury of time while battling crippling form in T20I cricket. The Indian captain is arguably suffering the worst patch in his illustrious short-format career as he recorded another poor outing in the third T20I against South Africa in Dharamshala on Sunday, December 14.

Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for 12 runs off 11 deliveries during the seven-wicket win, and is on the verge of ending the year without a single T20I fifty. He has scored only 213 runs in 18 innings at an average of 14.20 in 2025, where he has failed to record double figures in half of them.

When an argument was raised that players like Karun Nair are not backed because of their age, while Shubman Gill has the backing because of the years ahead of him, Kaif reminded that Suryakumar Yadav has a strong backing despite being 35 years old, an age where Virat Kohli stepped away from the T20I team.

"Suryakumar Yadav is 35 years old. Virat Kohli retired at 35 after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The most important thing is form. If a player is playing well, scoring runs, diving around, showing commitment to play for the Indian team, doing everything right, then the age is not a big factor. if it was, Michael Hussey would have never made his debut," Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Suryakumar Yadav recently turned 35 years old in September, and with form and rhythm not on his side, some serious questions will be raised soon about his long-term future, especially with other players waiting on the sidelines.

"Even if he scores a duck in his next four matches" - Mohammad Kaif on Suryakumar Yadav being safe from omission ahead of 2026 T20 World Cup

Mohammad Kaif stressed on the fact that Suryakumar Yadav not being in form is a bigger concern for Team India leading into the 2026 T20 World Cup, compared to Shubman Gill's dismal run.

Given that he is the captain of the side, and India's need for stability in such a crucial phase right before a major event, the former player guaranteed that Suryakumar Yadav will not be dropped under any circumstances, and a new captain in such a volatile period will not be appointed.

"Suryakumar Yadav will not be dropped. Actually, he is the bigger cause of concern, but being dropped does not apply to him. Look, bringing in Samson for Gill is a simple, obvious switch, but it is not the case with Surya. We are talking about Gill, but Surya's form must be the one hurting Gambhir and the team management. There are many replacements for Gill, like Samson and Jaiswal. But if you remove the captain, and appoint someone else when the World Cup is right here, that is not going to happen," Kaif said.

"Even if he scores a duck in his next four matches, Surya will not be removed. So, it is better that Surya takes a call himself, knowing that he is going to play no matter what. He is not facing a drop situation like Gill is," he continued.

The Indian skipper has only scored 29 runs in three matches in the home series against South Africa so far. He will have an opportunity to turn things around in the upcoming fourth T20I, scheduled to be held at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, December 17. India have a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, and are on the lookout to seal their 10th T20I series win in a row.