Suryakumar, who had a tough 2025 T20I season with an average of just 13.62 across 21 matches, had faced questions about his place in the Indian side. However, his 22-ball 32 in the series opener against the Kiwis could be a turning point.
Ashwin, the 2011 ODI World Cup winner, praised Suryakumar for prioritizing the team over individual milestones. “A lot of people were talking about Suryakumar’s batting and his form and all of that. In all honesty, in T20 cricket, you don’t have to aim for consistency. What I liked was that he got those runs; he looked in good touch today. If a batter wants to look to get runs, they would have looked to get a fifty. But Surya did not do that. This team has a theme—they will keep scoring and hitting. He looked in his element. He looked good and this is a big positive for him,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
On another note, Ashwin highlighted the team’s backing of Shivam Dube’s bowling skills in T20 cricket. The Mumbai all-rounder bowled three overs in the first T20I and claimed two wickets. “Maybe there will surely be a conversation to bring in a bowler, seeing how Dube’s bowling goes. But he got three overs today. So they are backing his bowling, and I think there are conversations around him bowling. This is probably the combination,” Ashwin added.
