Veteran Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has encouraged Suryakumar Yadav to concentrate more on his batting than his captaincy during the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Rahane believes that Suryakumar’s contributions with the bat will be pivotal, even as he acknowledged the batter’s effective leadership style. Suryakumar had faced criticism after a poor T20I series against England, where he scored only 28 runs across five matches, including two ducks.

However, he proved his critics wrong with a remarkable IPL season, amassing 717 runs and securing the position of second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.

“Although he didn’t perform well in the series against England, he made a strong comeback in the IPL, scoring five fifties and finishing as the second-highest run-scorer with an impressive strike rate. We all know Surya is a dangerous batter, especially in this format, where he’s had great success. It will be interesting to see how he approaches his batting, particularly after his surgery,” Rahane said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

“As a captain, he has been exceptional. He’s a proactive leader and has done a great job leading the team in the past. However, I believe his batting will be crucial in this Asia Cup,” he added.

Suryakumar’s last appearance in the T20I Asia Cup was in 2022, where he finished as the eighth-highest run-scorer, accumulating 139 runs across five matches. His average was 34.75, and he maintained a strike rate of 163.52, with his best innings being an unbeaten 68 against Hong Kong. However, aside from this knock, he was unable to register significant scores throughout the tournament.

This time, Suryakumar will be keen to put in a performance that lives up to his reputation as one of India’s top T20I players.

While his leadership has been impressive, his batting figures have seen a noticeable dip. He has accumulated just 258 runs in 15 matches, averaging over 18 and with two half-centuries. Still, his strike rate of above 161 reflects his continued aggressive intent despite recent struggles.