Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 20 (ANI): Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged his recent lean patch and expressed confidence in returning to form ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

In 2025, Yadav has struggled to score runs in T20I cricket. The right-handed batter has scored 218 runs in 21 matches at a poor average of 13.62. Suryakumar Yadav didn't hit a half-century this year in T20I cricket.

Yadav will lead a 15-man squad in the upcoming T20 World Cup, with Shubman Gill, who has been the vice-captain of the T20I team, dropped amid fitness and form concerns, and Axar Patel returning to deputy duties.

The team was announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the board's headquarters on Saturday, in the presence of captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

'I know what to do, where things are going wrong. I have got some time to work on it. It's just a small invisible hurdle that I am sure I will overcome,' Yadav told the reporters.

Gill's exclusion from the squad sparked widespread debate. Skipper Yadav spoke out on the reasoning behind the decision, stressing that selections were driven by roles and structure rather than short-term form.

'It's not about form, it's about combination. We wanted to have a keeper at the top. We know the quality that Gill brings. We also wanted someone like Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar in the back end,' Yadav said.

For Yadav, leading the side at a home World Cup presents both opportunity and responsibility. 'I think it's a good responsibility for me... It's going to be a good challenge when you are going to play in front of your home crowd,' Yadav added.

India is placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States and will start its campaign against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai.

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20I series: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk). (ANI)