Irfan Pathan confident Suryakumar Yadav will regain form in Australia, says ‘If the bounce works in…’ News24 –

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shown faith that Suryakumar Yadav will get back into rhythm on Australian soil after going through a rough patch of form in T20Is this year. Indian captain, who used to be ranked No. 1 in the ICC T20I rankings, has struggled to make a dent in 2025 with just 100 runs in 12 matches at an average of 11.11.

Suryakumar’s strike rate of 105.26 has raised many questions as India prepare for their coming five-match T20I series against Australia. In a conversation on his YouTube channel, Pathan admitted the team’s increasing concern about their captain’s form, Suryakumar has not been able to carry his IPL excellence into the international game this year.

“One concern is Suryakumar Yadav’s form. His strike rate has been around 166, and no one has scored more runs than him in T20Is recently. But lately, his average has dropped to around 20, and he hasn’t been converting starts into big scores. His IPL form was great, but he hasn’t carried that into internationals,” Pathan said.

“Still, I feel Australian pitches will help him regain rhythm. He uses bowlers’ pace beautifully and plays square of the wicket very well. Remember his debut shot – a pull off Jofra Archer using his pace? That’s his trademark. If the bounce works in his favour, he could easily get back in form,” said Pathan.

“The first match will be in Canberra at Manuka Oval. In my opinion, if India plays their best cricket, they can win the series 4-1. Even though it’s in Australia, India looks the stronger team.”

Despite Suryakumar’s struggle Pathan is hopeful that the bouncy and fast tracks in Australia may get the rhythm and confidence back. Looking forward to the series, the winner of the 2007 T20 World Cup also supported India to win easily, stating the visitors have enough depth and experience to meet the Australian challenge.