T20 World Cup 2026: ‘There was never any doubt he’d turn it around’ – Ex-Australian captain backs Suryakumar for marquee event

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke believes there was never any doubt about Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav regaining form ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Despite the Men in Blue’s dominance in T20Is, Suryakumar endured a prolonged slump in form since 2024.

He suffered his worst T20I season in 2025, averaging just 13.62 at a strike rate of 123.16 across 21 outings. However, he rediscovered his touch in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand, scoring three half-centuries at an average of over 80 and a strike rate of 196.74.

“It’s a huge advantage, no doubt. But it’s cricket; you can’t make runs every time you walk out and bat. He’s an unbelievable player, certainly in this format. It’s surely an advantage that he’s back in form. But yeah, I don’t think there was any doubt that he was going to be able to turn it around. T20 cricket is probably the hardest format in which to find form again because you don’t really have time,” said Clarke to Revsportz.

“In T20 cricket, no matter if you’re in form or out of form, making runs or not making runs, you’ve got to look to score straight away. And again, for players, when you get to a certain age and when you become a leader or captain, you can flick a switch because you have the experience. And being a captain, you definitely want to win these big tournaments,” he added.

Clarke also conceded that it is only a matter of time before Indian opener Abhishek Sharma breaks through in all three formats of the game. He is currently the top-ranked T20I batter, having scored 1,297 runs at an average of over 37 and a strike rate of 194.74 in 38 T20Is, but is yet to make his debut in Tests and ODIs.

“I said about 12 months ago that Abhishek Sharma is ready for all three formats. And that’s easy to say, but there’s got to be an available spot to be able to walk in and play. What I mean is he’s good enough, certainly talented, and knows his game well enough to adapt to Test cricket, one-day cricket, and T20 cricket; it’s just a matter of time,” said Clarke.

Clarke further credited the Indian management for Ishan Kishan’s resurgence. The wicketkeeper-batter returned to the Indian side after more than two years and enjoyed an outstanding T20I series against the Black Caps, averaging 53.75 at a strike rate of 231.18 across four innings.

“Ishan Kishan getting the opportunity is one of the things for which Indian selection, the captain, and the coach deserve a lot of credit. They chose to stick with him. They’ve given him the chance, and he has repaid them so far. I know he’ll want to have a big World Cup campaign if he gets that chance there,” said Clarke.

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