Rajkot, Jan 28: India captain Suryakumar Yadav will be expected to get back to his belligerent best after a prolonged lean run when his uber-aggressive unit takes on a struggling England in the third T20 International, aiming for a series-sealing win on Tuesday.Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped. The year gone by was the least productive for arguably the world’s best T20 batter as he totalled 429 runs in 17 innings at an average of 26.81.
Suryakumar averaged close to 35 in 2021, his first year in international cricket, before raising it to 45 plus in the following two years.
The 34-year-old from Mumbai is yet to fire in the five-match series against England and has a point to prove following his exclusion from the ODI Champions Trophy squad.
Though he is India’s very own ‘Mr 360’, Suryakumar is at his finest when he is toying with the opposition attack with runs behind the wicket.
He perished while attempting his signature pick up shot of a slower ball in the series-opener before playing one on to his stump in the last game.
Tilak Varma’s individual brilliance got India over the line in Chennai but besides Suryakumar’s lack of runs, Sanju Samson’s short ball shortcomings were highlighted.
Samson, who had a memorable series in South Africa, has been dismissed to the short ball from Jofra Archer twice in the series.
It is something he would look to correct on a Rajkot pitch which is usually full of runs and is expected to be another happy hunting ground for the Indians after wins in the first two games of the five-match rubber.