Pressure on Sky as India eye series

Lucknow, Dec 16: Shubman Gill’s lean patch has been the talking point but an equally “out of runs” skipper Suryakumar Yadav is also under intense scrutiny as India look to find the right balance and seal the five-match series against South Africa in the fourth T20I here Wednesday.

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The third game was an ideal opportunity for Suryakumar to rediscover his touch while India chased a modest 118-run target, but the ease that once made him the top ranked batter in the world was noticeably missing.

Shots that defined his dominance have been producing erratic results and the match in Dharamsala was no different as he fell to his trademark pickup stroke, highlighting a continued struggle.

But he was defiant when it came to self-assessment.

“The thing is, I’ve been batting beautifully in the nets. I'm trying everything that’s in my control. When the runs have to come, they'll definitely come. I’m not out of form, but definitely out of runs,” Suryakumar confidently said at the post-match presentation ceremony after India’s win in Dharamsala Sunday.

However, the numbers tell a worrying story. The Indian captain has been searching for fluency for over a year, averaging under 15 in the format this season.