T20 World Cup: Ponting backs out-of-form skipper Suryakumar Yadav to help India defend title

New Delhi, Jan 5 Former Australia cricketer Ricky Ponting has backed out-of-form India skipper Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to kick off on February 7. Yadav has been out of form and has managed just 218 runs across 19 innings with a below-par strike rate of 123.16 in 2025. However, Ponting showed his trust in the Indian skipper and urged him to back his aggressive style of play.

“That's as big a surprise for me, just looking at his recent form. He's been such a solid and consistent contributor for India in T20 cricket for a long time and just hasn't been able to find it of late,” Ponting told ICC. “He's an interesting one because when I've seen him play his best, he's taken six or eight or 10 balls to get going and then just lets it all go,” said Ponting.

“He plays all of his shots and backs himself, and a bit like Travis Head, where it almost looks like they don't ever fear getting out,” Ponting noted. “That's what I'd say to him. I'd be saying, think about scoring runs, don't think about getting out. Trust yourself, back yourself. You're proven to be as good as anybody in the world in the T20 format and go and prove it to everybody once again.”

Ponting welcomed the team's decision to appoint 31-year-old Axar Patel as the vice-captain on the tour, praising his all-round ability as the hosts look to become the first T20 team to defend the title.

“I mean, actually, Patel's been their go-to man, really hasn't he?” said Ponting. “The last few series, he's been their pinch hitter at different times. They've batted him up the order at number three. When they've needed that left-hand, right-hand combination, he's been the man to go out and try and do it for them, and he's obviously ever consistent with his left-arm off spin as well.”

Ponting was surprised by the exclusion of India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup squad, but was in praise of the team's batting depth. The right-handed opener has struggled to cement his place in the top order and has managed just 291 runs across 15 innings, with a highest score of 47.

“Yeah, I couldn't believe that,” Ponting said when speaking with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review.

“I know his recent form hasn't been great in white-ball cricket. And the last time that I really saw much of him play was the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I've ever seen anybody bat.”

Ponting noted that the wealth of options allows the selectors to leave out a player of Gill’s calibre.

“I mean one, I'm surprised, but two, it just shows the depth of Indian cricket,” Ponting stated. “If you can think that someone as good as Shubman Gill doesn't get picked in a World Cup squad, then it goes to show how many good players they do have."

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