Team requires Abhishek Sharma to play with his identity, says Suryakumar Yadav ahead of IND vs SA clash

In an age of instant judgement, an opener failing to open his account thrice may seem like a catastrophe but Suryakumar Yadav strongly backed Abhishek Sharma. Addressing the media at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Saturday, the Indian skipper effusively supported Abhishek.

“I worry for the people who are worried about Abhishek’s form. When he scores a run, you have seen what happens. The team has a requirement that the boy should play with his identity. If it happens, then it’s fine, if it doesn’t, then we are there to cover. Last year he covered for us, now we will cover for him,” Suryakumar said ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup clash against South Africa.

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The captain also supported Tilak Varma: “I am sure he must not be happy with how he is batting right now. He has practised a lot as well. But I don’t have any concerns regarding him. He has been delivering for India at number three really well and I am confident he will do better.”

Suryakumar also explained the team’s batting approach: “We don’t have to be a team that keeps hitting and hitting. Sometimes, we can lose two or three wickets quickly. So we have to be smart and bat well between overs seven to 15. And then we have enough firepower to score around 60, 70 runs in the last five overs.”

Refusing to dwell too much on the surface or on the toss, Suryakumar emphasised that he has the right men to adapt to all kinds of situations: “I feel toss is a bit overrated now. If you bat well in the first innings, even if there is dew, you can still defend (the score) if you have confidence in your bowling unit.”

Published on Feb 21, 2026