While India is undoubtedly the favourite to win against PAK, Suryakumar Yadav’s past performances give us little confidence for the Sunday clash

India, under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, has won the first two matches in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup group stage. However, the Men in Blue's upcoming game is against their arch-rival PAK, and despite the favourable odds, there's always a risk that the opponent could win.

In terms of the team's lineup, India boasts an abundance of superstars, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has excelled in leading the team in the shortest format of the game. However, his form with the bat has been questionable in the last few months, especially against PAK in T20Is, given Yadav has a poor batting record.

2025 season

Suryakumar Yadav ~ 1st Indian Captain to Score Duck in T20 Asia Cup #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/ZPCTwejliD

— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) September 21, 2025

Before we dive into Yadav’s performance in the World Cup, we must address that his 2025 T20I season wasn’t eventful with the bat, having scored only 218 runs at an average of 13.6. His Asia Cup run was also dreadful, with 72 runs scored in as many as five matches.

2026 World Cup high & low

SURYA STUMPED OUT OF NOWHERE 😮
◾ Suryakumar Yadav 12 (13) beaten, quick glovework - bails off in a flash!
◾ Brilliant combo by Scholtz & Green - Only the 2nd time SKY has been stumped in T20Is 🤯
◾ Namibia hit back after India’s blitz! 🇳🇦 #INDvNAM #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/iBzoEQjmLi

— Yogesh Goswami (@yogeshgoswami_) February 12, 2026

For a player who is known for hitting left, right, and centre and being hailed as the "Indian Mr. 360," SKY’s World Cup 2026 has been far from perfect. In the opening match, Yadav showed a glimpse of his unorthodox greatness with 84 runs scored in 49 balls against the United States of America. However, in the next game against another minnow nation, Namibia, Yadav walked with merely 12 runs off his bat, showing he is consistently inconsistent.

Poor against PAK

Suryakumar Yadav’s record against PAK in T20Is is horrendous. In the eight games that he has played against the Green Team, SKY has scored only 112 runs at an average of 16.

Suryakumar Yadav in the last 21 T20is:

21 (17), 4 (9), 1 (4), 0 (3), 12 (7), 14 (7), 0 (4), 2 (3), 7* (2), 47* (37), 0 (3), 5 (11), 12 (13), 1 (5), 39* (24), 1 (4), 24 (11), 20 (10), 12 (11), 5 (4), 12 (11).

- 239 runs.
- 13.27 average.
- 118.90 strike rate. pic.twitter.com/u8jXH9gLvO

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 14, 2025

Last year in the Asia Cup, out of three games against PAK, Yadav scored only 47 runs in one match— in the other two games, he was gone for a duck and one run. In fact, Yadav has never managed to go past 30 in any of the other matches played against PAK, so half centuries and centuries are out of the question.

Yadav must fire

🚨Suryakumar Yadav Vs Pakistan Flop or Hit 🚨

- 47(37) Asia Cup
- 18(18) Asia Cup
- 15(10) T20 WC
- 13(10) Asia Cup
- 11(8) T20 WC
- 7(8) T20 World Cup
- 1 (5) 2025 Match
- 0(3) 2025 Match

Will Surya be able to score India vs Pakistan…?pic.twitter.com/cNzCkYutFD

— Jatin Yadav (@yadav_jati17044) February 14, 2026

While India’s top order is fiery, there is always the risk of losing early wickets. In the middle overs, Hardik Pandya alone cannot act as India’s saviour all the time. Therefore, on Sunday, Yadav must score over 30 runs to ensure that against PAK, he can take a stand with his bat. Sending Yadav to the dugout with a single-digit number will also put pressure on lower-order batters like Rinku Singh and Axar Patel.

For long, Yadav’s poor run against PAK has stayed under the radar, but with less than 24 hours to go for the game, Yadav needs special attention from India’s batting coach so that he can survive against PAK’s bowling attack. After all, churning out result as a captain is not enough; without runs, Yadav is slowly becoming a liability.