'Pressure of Wickets...': Sanjay Bangar Explains Why Suryakumar Yadav Shines in IPL For MI, But Fails For Team India

Ind vs SA: After a poor outing in Cuttack, captain Suryakumar Yadav was hoping that he would get among the runs in Mullanpur - but unfortunately, that did not happen. The Indian captain has now failed to get going in both the games and that is now starting to worry the thinktank. What could be the reason behind his slump? He had a dream IPL season where he scored 717 runs in 16 matches for the Mumbai Indians. But for India in T20Is in 2025, he has amassed merely 201 runs in 17 games. 

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Why SKY is Failing For India? 

As per India's former batting coach Sanjay Bangar, Suryakumar has a fixed slot when playing for MI, but that is not the case when he represents the country in the T20I format. Bangar reckons at No. 3, Suryakumar gets time to get his eye in and that helps. 

"It's also about the team's thought process. You want to keep the No. 3 to No. 7 or No. 8 positions flexible. However, MI gave him a stable position. If he came at No. 3, he was fixed at No. 3, no matter the match or the situation. The quality player he is, the more balls he plays, he can convert them in a better fashion," the former India batting coach said on Star Sports.

"He shouldn't have the pressure of wickets behind him. Then he needs to bat differently. The earlier he comes at No. 3, the better it is. He scored runs at an average of 65 and a strike rate of 168 in 16 innings (in the IPL). However, if you see his international innings, it's a massive fall. He has an average of 14 and a strike rate of 126," Bangar added.

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Can he Strike Form in Dharamsala? 

He would love to, but he would be low in confidence. Interesting to see how he fares in the third game on December 14.