Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has expressed surprise over Suryakumar Yadav’s dip in form in T20I cricket. Yadav hasn’t been able to lead from the front and his performances in the shortest format have been mundane.

Ponting has advised SKY to back himself and take the game head-on from the get-go. In the last 12 months, Yadav managed 218 runs at an average of 13.62 in 21 T20Is and he would want to turn a corner in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. 

“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. 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,” Ricky Ponting said on ICC Review.

“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. 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 added.

SKY would definitely want to get back amongst the runs in the T20I series against the Kiwis. Yadav has the skills to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting and he is going to hold the key at number three or four in the T20 World Cup.

The first T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Nagpur on 21st January.