India back Suryakumar and Gill to regain mojo

India Twenty20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill continued their run drought but the team management has backed the duo to regain their form ahead of the home World Cup early next year.

Returning from a neck injury, opener Gill managed four and zero in the first two T20 matches of the ongoing home series against South Africa. The right-hander has now gone 17 innings in this format since his last half-century.

“I thought he got (dismissed by) a good ball today, which can happen when you are short on form,” assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said after Gill, who has an impressive record in the Indian Premier League (IPL), fell for a first-ball duck against South Africa on Thursday.

“But we also know the class. If you look at his IPL record, where he stacks up 700 runs, 600 runs, 800 runs, 600 runs.

“We believe in his class and we believe he will come good.”

T20 specialist Suryakumar has endured worse. Across his last 20 innings in this format, he has compiled 227 runs at 13.35 with no fifties.

“It’s exactly the same with Surya,” ten Doeschate said.

“Personally, I think you back quality players and quality leaders like that and they will come good.

“I can understand from the outside it looks like a concern, but I have got absolute faith in both of them coming good at the right time for us.”

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said the duo’s recent run of poor form was “a real cause of concern for India”.

“Surya will be under pressure because he’s the captain and as a captain, your slot in the playing 11 is secured automatically,” Pathan told JioHotstar.

“As a player, if you haven’t scored runs in a year, you are under pressure. His form has to come back before the World Cup. He needs the right batting position and better shot selection.”

India will be defending their title at the T20 World Cup that the country will host jointly with Sri Lanka from February 7.