How break from social media, taking time in middle helped India captain Suryakumar regain form
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav rediscovered his form with the bat after he notched up his first half-century in 468 days during the Men in Blue’s second match against New Zealand on Friday.
With only 218 runs in 21 matches, Suryakumar’s form had become an area of concern in the lead-up to a home T20 World Cup, which kicks off next month.
But all such concerns were laid to rest over the first two matches against New Zealand, in which Suryakumar smacked a watchful 22-ball 32 and a blistering 37-ball 82 in the second.
“There’s a coach sitting at home as well, to whom I am married. She keeps telling me, ‘I think you should take some time (in the middle)’,” Suryakumar told Ishan Kishan in a video shared by the BCCI, referring to some inputs given by his wife.
“… because she has seen me the closest, she reads my mind. I decided to take some time; took it in the last game and today as well and I have got a better feeling.
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“I was anyway telling everyone that I was batting well. I was trying in the nets. But no matter how much you do in the nets, until you score runs in the match, you don’t get confidence,” he added.
Suryakumar revealed that taking time off from social media as well as in general also contributed significantly to him hitting form after a lengthy dry patch.
“I got a good break of 2-3 weeks (after series against South Africa). I went home and cut off all social media. I didn’t spend much time there. I practiced well in the last three weeks and I came in with a good (mental) space,” he said.
Suryakumar also heaped praise on Ishan’s onslaught of 32-ball 76, including 11 fours and four sixes, which also saw the southpaw making the fastest T20I fifty (off 21 balls) for any Indian against New Zealand.
(With PTI inputs)
Published on Jan 24, 2026
