IND vs NZ 2026: 'Don't have to be consistent' - R Ashwin's stunning take on Suryakumar Yadav after 1st T20I
"A lot of people were talking about Suryakumar's batting and his form and all of that. In all honesty, in T20 cricket, you don't have to aim for consistency," Ravichandran Ashwin opined.
Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the 32-run knock played by Suryakumar Yadav in the first T20I against New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21, will give the Indian skipper a lot of confidence going forward.
Suryakumar has been struggling in T20I cricket for quite some time. In 2025, he finished with a paltry average of 13.62 after playing 21 T20Is. Questions were being asked about his place in the side after the prolonged lean patch. However, his 22-ball 32 in the series opener against the Kiwis should do him a world of good.
Ashwin opined that consistency isn't something that batters aim for in T20 cricket. The 2011 ODI World Cup winner lauded Suryakumar for following India's team-above-individual template. Ashwin said that when a batter is looking for runs, he will look to score a half-century, but Suryakumar continued hitting the big shots without worrying about personal milestones.
"It is a monkey off the back. A lot of people were talking about Suryakumar's batting and his form and all of that. In all honesty, in T20 cricket, you don't have to aim for consistency. What I liked was that he got those runs; he looked in good touch today. If a batter wants to look to get runs, they would have looked to get a fifty. But Surya did not do that. This team has a theme, they will look to keep scoring and hitting. He looked in his element. He looked good and this is a big positive for him," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin feels that the Indian team management is backing Shivam Dube's bowling skills in T20 cricket. The Mumbai all-rounder bowled three overs in the first T20I and bagged two wickets.
"Maybe there will surely be a conversation to bring in a bowler, seeing how (Shivam) Dube's bowling goes. But he got three overs today. So they are backing his bowling, and I think there are conversations around him bowling. This is probably the combination," he added.
Bumrah, Hardik shouldn't play a game or two vs NZ: Srikkanth
India amassed a huge total of 238/7 in the first innings after being invited to bat first. In reply, New Zealand could only put up 190/7, handing the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
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