SKY fall: Suryakumar's slump becomes starker amid off-field controversies

Suryakumar Yadav's last act on the field against Sri Lanka on Friday was a punch into the covers to seal India's Super Over victory. But long before the drama at the end unfolded, he had seemed a man who was just beginning to be affected by a mini-slump.

That he had chosen to review the lbw appeal against him when India were batting first, most likely knowing he was plumb, was reaffirmation that one of T20 cricket's most feared batters was merely a mortal whose last three outings brought him scores of 12, 5 and 0.

These are part of a wider pool of scores that are more hard-hitting. In ten innings this year, India's T20I captain has managed just 99 runs with three ducks, while striking at 110. If you were to go back a little further, from just after India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024 to now, the numbers get only marginally better: 329 runs in 19 innings with two half-centuries.

Suryakumar's high standards make this run of form hollow. And it's not because of any apparent weakness or glaring loopholes, even though his propensity to premeditate - like that pick-up flick he plays with nonchalance most times - has brought about his downfall a fair few times in this Asia Cup alone.

For Suryakumar, this lean run has come at a time when the spotlight has continued to follow him for different reasons - for his gestures, expressions, comments, press conference quips, and the biggest of them all, the handshake-gate. Then there have been disciplinary hearings and batting-order shuffles to boot. That India have managed to coast into the final unbeaten despite this ought to be giving him some breathing space.

The contradiction in Suryakumar's case is striking because of how effortless he has made batting look away from match-day glare. At training through the first half of the Asia Cup, he struck the ball as sweetly as anyone, reaffirming why he is a feared all-round batter. On match days, however, the rustiness and, at times, the desperation to manufacture certain shots, have been evident.

On Friday, Suryakumar had an opportunity to find his gears in a dead rubber. And in his brief stay, he flickered hope before fizzling away. A crisp cover drive on the up that went for four off Maheesh Theekshana seemed like it could be a prelude to what was to come. But that's as far as he went. His 13-ball vigil for 12 runs was uncomfortable, as he kept getting beaten for playing down the wrong line - like by the nip backer from Dushmantha Chameera that beat his inside edge, or by the slower one he skewed off a leading edge over point.

Suryakumar's first attempt at the sweep shot resulted in a leading edge on to the grille of the helmet as he misread the length. In the same over, he premeditated a sweep, only to be awkwardly caught in a tangle as Wanindu Hasaraga bowled full, and hit him flush on the pads to trap him lbw. The rueful look up to the heavens as he tossed his bat, as if he was pleading for luck, was revealing.

The only real moment of domination from Suryakumar this tournament was in the group game against Pakistan, when he struck an unbeaten 47, finishing a chase with a six and walking off with his usual gum-chewing swagger. Yet, in the larger scheme of things, the knock hardly got logged because of the chatter it sparked beyond the numbers, with handshake-gate taking centre stage.

Everything since has been a blur: dismissals while attempting his premeditated pick-up shot that have now become a self-inflicted trap that opponents have carefully planned for, scratchy stays at the crease, and a general lack of rhythm.

It hasn't helped that the cameras have magnified his every move. Like against Oman, when he chose to push himself down the order to the extent that he didn't come out to bat despite India losing eight wickets. While it was casually brushed aside as a joke after India had won, the move could've been scrutinised a lot more had India been upset, as Oman did give them a scare in the chase.

Thirteen T20I innings without a fifty is uncharted territory for him. He endured barren tours in South Africa and at home against England, and yet, in between, blazed away in the IPL like a man possessed, hitting balls into arcs you didn't think were possible. Suryakumar scored 717 runs in that tournament, second on the list, while getting 25-plus in all 16 innings. For context, no non-opener had ever achieved that in a single IPL edition across 18 seasons.

Perhaps that's why when wielding the bat like a magic wand becomes the norm, ordinary patches have a tendency of looking far worse. And yet, through it all, one thing has stayed constant - his commitment to the team's needs. He has been the loudest advocate for flexibility in batting roles, for the willingness of everyone outside the openers to float. He has practised what he preaches too, moving himself around without hesitation.

After the previous game against Pakistan, in the Super Fours, Suryakumar made headlines for his brave proclamation that India vs Pakistan is no longer a rivalry. For all the chatter and quips he believes are all light-hearted and in the moment, nothing will speak louder than the bat if he is able to bring his A game forward when it matters the most.